Animatus II: The Descent
by Vilandra4
Summary: COMPLETE Sequel to Animatus. Faith and a team of soldiers descend into the abandoned Initiative compound to search for a cure to the virus that caused the zombie invasion. BF pairing.
1. Prologue: The End of Everything

Animatus II: Descent

Disclaimer: None of the themes, ideas, settings, or characters from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" belongs to me; they all belong to the great Joss Whedon. I'm just borrowing them for a joy ride. Also, I'm borrowing some ideas from some popular zombie movies, as I did in the last story.

Notes: This is the sequel to "Animatus." If you have not read that particular story, I would recommend it. You might be rather lost with this one without the background information. These stories are entirely dependent on each other.

Prologue: The End of Everything:

Buffy watched as Faith scrambled over the chain link fence separating freedom from the quarantined town of Sunnydale. She could smell the smoke of the burning van that they had left smoldering and ruined near the entrance of the highway. The winds had shifted and, mingled among the acrid smell, she caught a sickeningly sweet odor that reminded her of burning flesh. She shivered; the image of her mother's body burning to dust, trapped underneath the steering wheel of the van, crept into her mind unbidden. She knew that if she turned around, she would see flames shooting up into the sky, claiming all the remained of the exploded vehicle and everyone inside of it. She wanted to collapse on the ground and cry until she could cry no more, but she knew that she would be seeing her mother again soon. The sound of Faith's feet hitting the concrete on the other side of the fence captured her attention.

The bite wound on her arm throbbed intensely. She wondered if the knowledge that a deadly infection slowly was circulating through her body heightened the pain. She had been injured many times before, but no wound had hurt as badly was the bloody bite. She felt dirty, like black sludge was creeping through her veins. She smiled sadly when Faith turned and faced her with a confused look on her face. "Buffy?" Faith asked and the blonde Slayer heard the question in her voice. _Why didn't you follow me?_

"You have to go," Buffy found herself saying. She wanted nothing more than to spend her final minutes, hours, or days as a living, breathing human being with her lover, but she knew that Faith had another destiny. Faith had to lead their ragtag band of survivors to freedom. The younger girl's eyes widened when she saw the blood running down Buffy's arm and dripping from her fingertips into the road. Buffy gripped the fence with her clean hand, holding the metal rings so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

"What happened?" Faith asked in disbelief and stepped forward. But Buffy knew that the dark haired Slayer already knew the answer to her question. She just did not want to accept it. Neither did Buffy, but the older girl knew that she had to face reality. She was dying.

"It's too late," Buffy stated, anticipating Faith's next reply. "You have to go."

"I can't leave you here," Faith insisted and Buffy heard panic in her voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Giles moving forward. She knew that her Watcher understood how perilous their situation was; the zombies were coming and even a high fence would not long separate them from their prey. The zombies were hungry. Most of the residents of Sunnydale had been turned or eaten. They were running out of food. The motivation to feed drove them to venture into the sun and to chase their quarries with more speed than they usually possessed and it would drive them to accomplish even more for the sake of food.

"I love you," Buffy whispered, wishing in that moment that she had been given the opportunity to speak those words to her girlfriend more. She had not realized how important they were until the moment that she knew that she would never utter them again. She felt nothing but love for Faith in that moment. She wanted to kiss away the younger girl's tears, which were starting to slide down her face unbidden. She wanted to cleanse her of her pain and spend the rest of her life with the former rogue Slayer. But she knew that was impossible.

"Don't say that," Faith replied angrily. Buffy almost laughed. She was going to become a zombie and Faith was angry because she wanted to express her love a final time. She would have laughed if not for the tears coursing down Faith's cheeks.

"I love you, Faith. Don't ever forget that, okay?" Buffy said earnestly. She knew that Faith had more life to live, but even if Buffy could not be a part of it, she wanted her lover to remember the happy times that they had experienced together.

"Stop saying good-bye!" Faith shouted. She looked like she wanted to hit the fence.

"This is good-bye," Buffy reminded her gently. She knew that Faith always would be angry with her for choosing to stay behind. But she also knew that she could not risk infecting the rest of the world, and the people that she cared about, with whatever she now carried within her blood.

"I can't live without you, B," Faith spoke and Buffy felt herself weakening. She knew that if Faith lingered much longer, she would be unable to resist her desire to go with her. As if Giles knew what Buffy was thinking, he intercepted Faith as she stepped forward to grab Buffy's hand. Pulling the dark haired Slayer back, he whispered something into her ear that Buffy could not hear.

"Get her out of here," Buffy instructed, nodding at Giles to say good-bye. She knew that out of everyone, Giles would most understand her need to remain behind – her duty to contain the infection, even at loss to herself.

"We'll see each other again," Giles promised, though Buffy knew differently. He started running, dragging Faith along behind him. The younger girl looked back at the blonde Slayer once, and Buffy saw such a depth of pain in her eyes that her throat became choked with sobs that shook her shoulders and blinded her vision. Turning away from the fence, she looked down at the gun she clutched in her hand.

Blood from the wound on her arm splashed over her fingertips, staining the gun, and pooling at her feet. She was infected. She would die, as Riley had, and turn into a zombie. But no one would be there to end her suffering. She would become a mindless creature bent on feeding human flesh until she withered away, starved, and perished for the last time. Shuddering at the thought, she realized what she had to do. Lifting the gun, which contained only one remaining bullet, she pressed it to her temple. The cool barrel of the gun touched her flesh and she shivered with a sense of finality. She could see the horde of zombies running at her. They were almost upon the van. The sound of their famished moaning reverberated through her bones and she closed her eyes.

Tightening her finger around the trigger of the gun, she inhaled deeply, and prepared to shoot. However, she hesitated. Something Riley had said before he had died lingered in the back of her mind. He had told her of new experiments being conducted at the Initiative on Sub-Level three. He had spoke of rumors of genetic testing with some kind of virus. Whatever she had been infected with through the zombie bite had been transmitted to her by the creature's saliva. "If it _is_ a virus," Buffy reasoned, a new clarity dawning in her mind, "maybe there's an anti-virus."

Hope suddenly blossomed in her heart, along with the realization that if there was a cure to the virus that created the zombies, it would be located within the depths of the Initiative. She lowered the gun from her temple and smiled. In the face of overwhelming odds and adversity, never before had she given in to defeat, and she was not going to do so now. Aiming the gun, she pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying into the skull of the closest zombie. It crumpled to the ground. Buffy was a Slayer, it was her duty to destroy the undead, and until she found a cure, she was going to kill as many as she could. Rushing over to the van, she closed all of its doors, and jumped inside. Giles had left the keys in the ignition when everyone had disembarked from the vehicle, assuming that they would no longer require its services, for which Buffy was grateful. Turning the key, she smiled wildly when the engine roared to life. The first of the zombies reached the van, grabbing onto the back of it.

Buffy threw the vehicle into reverse, stomping down on the gas pedal. The van flew backwards with a squeal, slamming into the zombies, and crushing them underneath of its wheels. Buffy grimaced at the sound of breaking bones and splattering flesh, but she held onto the steering wheel tightly, as the van jolted over the bodies of the dead, and did not release her foot from the pedal. When she came upon a clearing in the road, she threw the van into drive. It shot forward, speeding past and through the crowd of zombies. Glancing in the rear view mirror, she noticed that only a minority of them were chasing after her.

As she drove, she formulated her plan in her mind. Once she reached town, she would spend the night in the Bronze, where she felt she could find relative safety. When the first lights of dawn crept over the horizon, if she had not yet died and turned into a zombie, she would seek one of the auxiliary entrances of the Initiative. The main entrance required the use of an elevator. With the power in town deactivated, she knew that using the elevator itself would be impossible. Though she contemplated repelling down the elevator shaft, she knew that, by morning, if the effects of the bite were starting to take hold of her, she would be considerably weaker.

However, she remembered during her tour of the Initiative, just before the town had been overrun, seeing several auxiliary entrances, which contained stairs, rather than elevators, leading down the main floor of the compound. She would require more time to reach the main floor, but ultimately, she could avoid the elevator. Buffy wondered what she would find underneath the city of Sunnydale; she wondered what remained inside of the Initiative compound. Though there were many zombies wondering through the town, Buffy did not remember seeing many wearing military uniforms or lab coats. She feared that the majority of the Initiative employees who had been turned had been trapped underground. Perhaps they still waited within the Initiative, unable to find a way to escape from its confines.

Buffy reached the exit off of the highway and into Sunnydale when the sun touched the horizon. The light touched her eyes, a deep gold that bordered on red. The entire sky was filled with the color and it seemed to Buffy that she was driving into an ocean of gold. The light shimmered in her eyes and dropped as the sun began to sink beneath the edge of the world. Buffy sighed. The drive back to the Bronze would not be easy. Abandoned cars littered the roads and medians. When the group had left the Bronze earlier that morning, they had wasted much of their day trying to navigate through the cars spread across the roads. However, they had been traveling in broad daylight. Buffy did not relish the prospect of trying to pick her way through the maze in the dark, just when all of the zombies in town were decided to awaken.

She remembered that Faith had spent her first few nights, after awakening from her coma into zombie ridden Sunnydale, on the roof of a sporting good store that had been owned by Liz's father, both being victims of the zombie attack. The Bronze was located off of Main Street and in the industrial section of town, close to the motel where Faith had lived during her time before moving into the apartment with which the Mayor had provided her. In order to reach the Bronze, Buffy would have to drive through the residential section of town, across Main Street, and into the industrial section. However, she would save a significant amount of time by stopping at Main Street. She hoped that the sporting good store still remained a safe place to inhabit. Pulling the van off of the road and onto one of the residential side streets, she began the grueling task of picking a route through the abandoned cars.

The sun had disappeared below the horizon, its display of red and gold fading into a dark blue, and night began to fall as Buffy screeched to a halt in front of the sporting goods store. Already, she could hear the nightly moaning of the zombies beginning. They were leaving their daytime shelters and venturing out into the night. She had left the horde of zombies that reached the fence behind. Though they had initially tried to chase after her, they had quickly lost interest. Buffy was one human, while many humans were on the other side of the fence. The zombies were preoccupied with trying to figure out how to reach them. Shutting off the engine, she moved into the back of the van. They had left their supplies inside of the van upon reaching the fence because it was clear to them that civilization laid on the other side. Jay had seen guard towers.

Buffy was grateful that they had left behind their supplies. Filling a backpack with food, guns, ammunition, and a flashlight, she grabbed a first aid kit and exited through the back of the van. Closing the doors tightly, she glanced up at the roof of the sporting goods store. She could imagine Faith standing up on that roof, surveying the ruined town, and wondering where Buffy was amid all of the chaos and death. While she and her friends had been holed up in one of the dormitories at U.C. Sunnydale, she had felt something which she had not felt for a long time. A low humming had entered into her mind and had never left. She realized now, looking back, that she had been aware of Faith's awakening without even knowing it. She and her sister Slayer always had been connected. Buffy had tried to block out their connection when Faith had joined the Mayor. Eventually, she had forgotten about it. But she had remembered it the instant that she had seen Faith's face again. She also had remembered all of her feelings for Faith, the ones that she had buried deep down inside of her heart, hoping never to feel again.

She wondered that she could not feel their connection now. She knew that Faith was alive, but the moment that she had been bitten, something had changed inside of her. She no longer felt the connection to her inner Slayer. The infection had taken that away from her. Loading a fresh cartridge of ammunition into her gun, she gripped it tightly in her hand, and shouldered her backpack. She pulled back the hammer, prepared to fire if necessary, and moved forward. She had not seen any zombies yet, but she could hear them. She knew that they were coming close. She wanted to be inside, and out of sight, when they finally descended upon Main Street. Entering the front door of the store, she allowed her eyes several moments to adjust to the darkness.

She saw a dead body lying in a pile of shattered glass that had once been a display cabinet. The body belonged to a little girl. Buffy wondered what had happened to her, but decided that it was best that she did not know. Once she could see again clearly, she started moving forward. She could not sense anything in the store, but she knew not to trust her intuition; it had been tainted. However, she caught no sight of moment, nor heard anything that would indicate that there was anyone – or anything – inside. Moving over to the stairs, she quickly ascended them. She remembered that her mother had hid inside of the store as well. That thought caused a deep pain to spread across her chest. Though she had cried for the loss of her mother, she had not been granted time to grieve fully. She had not been granted time truly to grief for any of her dead friends.

She wondered what her mother's life had been like atop the sporting goods store. She wondered if she had been happy, or if she had spent her days worried about the fate of her daughter. When she reached the top of the stairs, she located the ladder leading to the roof. Again, she felt no presence and saw nothing to indicate that any zombies had infiltrated the second floor of the store. She moved over to the ladder and shoved the gun into the waistband of her jeans. As she gripped the metal rungs, preparing to climb, she felt the tight grip of someone's fingers grabbing her by the shoulders. Suddenly, she was falling backwards. She landed with a soft thud on top of someone. Rolling over, she screamed when she saw the rotting face of the man on top of which she had landed. He looked as if half of his face had started to slide off of his skull. His skin dripped downwards, hanging loosely off of his bones.

Buffy scrambled to her feet, reaching behind her to grab the gun. But the zombie rushed at her, knocking into her again, and the gun flew out of her hands. Buffy crashed against the wall, struggling against him. As he tried to bite the side of her face, she lifted her knee into his midsection. The zombie doubled over and she brought her elbow down on the back of his head. She saw her gun lying across the room and she knew that she would not have enough time to reach it before the zombie had regained its footing. However, just to her left was a stack of surplus kayak oars that had been waiting for their turn in the store. Grabbing one, she cracked it in half over her knee. Pointing the sharp end at the zombie, she slammed it into the man's face as he charged at her again, smiling with satisfaction and mingled horror as the oar slid into his eye and through his skull. Blood shot out of the wound, the remains of his eye dribbling down his face. Buffy grimaced and released her grip on the oar, moving backwards as the man crashed to the floor, where he remained.

Closing her eyes briefly, she allowed her heart several moments to calm itself. Adrenaline was pumping through her blood and she felt as though she could fight an entire army of zombies. However, she knew that the feeling would fade. Opening her eyes again, she quickly scanned the store for her gun. Locating it, she moved over to it, picked it up, and replaced it in the waistband of her jeans. Then she ascended the ladder, pushing open the trap door above the hole and poking her head out into the night. The moaning of the zombies was louder now and she knew that they had reached Main Street. Climbing up through the hole, she stepped onto the roof of the store and closed the trap door behind her. She did not want anything following her.

She smiled when she saw three chairs sitting on the middle of the roof. Two sleeping bags still remained spread out next to them. She almost could see her mother, Liz, and Faith sitting in those chairs, talking and joking. Tears sprung up into her eyes and she blinked them away. Moving over to the chairs, she sat down and pulled the first aid kit out of her bag. She had lost a great deal of blood when the zombie had bitten her, but the blood flow had lessened, and as she inspected the wound, she saw that it had ceased altogether. Grabbing one of the bottles of water, she poured some of the liquid out onto a rag and began to clean the wound.

She winced as the water seeped into her torn flesh. She gently wiped the blood away until the wound was clean and then tossed the rag to the side. Pulling a bottle of antiseptic out of the kit next, she frowned. "This is gonna hurt," she muttered, removed the lid, and tilted the bottle over her wound. The antiseptic poured out, striking her skin. Gritting her teeth, she repressed the urge to scream. Tilting the bottle upright again, she replaced the cap, and put it back in the kit. She waited several moments, until the pain had lessened, and tore open a bandage, affixing it to her arm to cover the wound. Sighing once she was done, she leaned back in the chair. She suddenly felt very tired. Glancing up into the sky, she saw the stars twinkling above her and the round, bright moon smiling down at her. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.


	2. You Can Never Go Back

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

Tightening her finger around the trigger of the gun, Buffy inhaled deeply, and prepared to shoot. However, she hesitated. Something Riley had said before he had died lingered in the back of her mind. He had told her of new experiments being conducted at the Initiative on Sub-Level three. He had spoke of rumors of genetic testing with some kind of virus. Whatever she had been infected with through the zombie bite had been transmitted to her by the creature's saliva. "If it _is_ a virus," Buffy reasoned, a new clarity dawning in her mind, "maybe there's an anti-virus."

Chapter One: You Can Never Go Back:

Faith glanced around the makeshift infirmary uneasily. She was sitting on one of the counters, her feet dangling a couple of inches from the floor. She never had liked hospitals. Her recent stay, when she had been in a coma, had done nothing to strength her favor of them. Harsh fluorescent lights shone down from above, causing everything in the room to appear dull and faded. The infirmary smelled cold and sterile. She was alone, waiting for a doctor to enter and administer the blood test to her that would determine whether she had been infected by the zombie causing virus. She knew that she was not, but the army was less trustful of her word than she had hoped. The room was silent. She could hear the sounds of people talking and laughing outside, the sounds of Jeeps kicking up dust, and the occasional pops of gunshots.

Inside of her mind, however, a storm was raging. She could hear Buffy's last words ringing over and over again. She desperately held onto the sound of her lover's voice, knowing that she would never hear it again. Already, it was starting to fade from her memory. Tears pricked at her eyes; hot, angry tears that threatened to burst out of her eyes like an explosion of sorrow. She blinked them away, however, refusing to give victory to the pain that had taken up residence in her heart. She inhaled deeply, but the simple act of drawing breath into her lungs caused her more pain than she could have imagined. The exhale that escaped from her was a bitter sob that wracked her body. Her shoulders shuddered and the tears that she had denied coursed down her cheeks in invisible lines.

Leaning forward so that her elbows were resting on her knees, she held her face in her hands and cried. Her world was crumbling around her. Buffy had been the sun; without the blonde Slayer, Faith felt like she was careening out of control, spiraling towards perpetual darkness. She wished that she had been bitten instead of her lover. Buffy had been an incredible person. She had not deserved such a fate. All Faith had ever wanted was to know that her partner was safe. She had failed to protect her; however, and she hated herself for it. Her tears squeezed between her fingers, running down her hands, and splashing to the floor like blood.

The door of the infirmary opened and a slant of golden sunlight crept into the room. "Hello," a friendly voice declared.

Faith sniffled, angrily wiped the tears from her face, and sat back. A woman stood in front of her, wearing a white lab coat, with her brown hair pulled back in a careless bun. "Hey," Faith muttered.

"I'm sorry," the woman said, noticing Faith's tears. "I can come back if you want?"

"No," Faith shook her head. "It's okay."

The woman nodded and closed the door. The sunlight was banished from the room and Faith desperately missed its presence. "I'm Dr. Rachel Lenz," Rachel said, extending her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Faith shook the woman's hand absently. When she had released her hand, Rachel walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a box of syringes. "Blood test, huh?" Faith asked, eyeing the needles warily.

Rachel smiled. "Unfortunately, yes," she replied. "But don't worry. It's not a big deal. We just need one vial."

"Okay," Faith nodded. Rachel walked over to Faith, needle in hand, and smiled at her warmly.

"You ready?" She asked.

"Yeah," Faith replied shakily. She hated needles. She supposed that her mother had something to do with that fear.

"Tell me about yourself," Rachel suggested as she prepared Faith's arm.

"I'm Faith," the dark haired Slayer replied. "Been running from zombies. Really not much more to tell."

"I'm sorry," Rachel stated. "That couldn't have been easy."

"No," Faith snorted. "It wasn't." Rachel pressed the needle into Faith's skin, but the younger girl did not notice. She was lost in her memory. She could hear the moaning of the zombies in her mind. She could see the blood trailing down Buffy's arm as she stood on the other side of the chain link fence. She could see the look of hopelessness and defeat in her lover's eyes.

"All done," Rachel announced. Faith looked down at her arm as the doctor placed a bandage over the small dot of blood rising out of her skin.

"That was quick," Faith commented.

"I said it was nothing to worry about," Rachel smiled.

"So how long does it take?" Faith asked, watching as Rachel placed the vial of blood in a labeled bag.

"The scientists will look at it and determine whether there's any infection in your blood. Your friends all passed their tests. I'm sure you're fine. It'll take less than an hour," Rachel explained.

"Okay," Faith nodded.

"Your friends are in barrack B. Do you know where that is?" Rachel asked.

Faith nodded. "I can find my way."

"Okay," Rachel smiled. "Thanks for your cooperation."

Faith flashed her an uneasily smile and jumped off of the counter on which she had been sitting. She opened the door of the infirmary and stepped out into the sunlight. The sun was hovering on the horizon, waiting for the moment when it would descend into the underworld, only to rise again the next day. As Faith watched the sunlight, a strange feeling washed over her. Though she was standing alone, she felt as if someone was with her. She could no longer feel the connection that she had shared with Buffy. The gentle humming that always had lingered in the back of her mind was gone. But still, she felt something; an invisible presence rested in her mind, calling her to do something, but Faith did not know what.

Sighing, she shook her head and walked forward. The barracks where the army had placed them was a block away from the infirmary. The army had established a rather large compound just beyond the second fence that separated the zombies from the rest of the world. Faith felt like she was walking through a miniature city. Everywhere, people hurried back and forth. Faith wondered what they were doing. She supposed that they were trying to find a way to destroy the zombies without destroying the town of Sunnydale itself, or, perhaps, they were working on a way to kill the virus. The sun finally fell below the horizon. The feeling that had been tugging at the back of her mind vanished and she felt numb.

She knew that Buffy would want her to continue living her life, but Faith did not know how to do that without the blonde Slayer. Buffy had been her foundation. Without her, Faith was not certain that she could continue. She finally reached the barracks and pulled open the door. "Hey," she said as Giles glanced up at her and smiled warmly.

"Faith," he stated. "How did your test go?"

"I guess we'll find out," Faith shrugged noncommittally. She glanced around the room, her eyes falling on the survivors of the attack. Willow and Tara were resting on one of the bunks. Tara was lying next to the red haired witch with her head placed gently on her chest. Her eyes were closed and Faith could see a small, contented smile on her lips. Faith found herself smiling, happy that Willow and Tara, at least, were together. Willow looked to be asleep as well, but Faith knew differently. She could tell by the heavy rise and fall of the older girl's chest that she was awake, though her eyes were closed. She did not see Jay anywhere in the room, but the rest of the survivors seemed to be asleep as well.

Giles was sitting at a table with a mug of tea sitting in front of him. "How are you, Faith?" He asked interestedly.

Faith shifted her gaze back to the Watcher and sighed. Moving over to the chair across from him, she sat down heavily. "I've been better," she admitted.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now," Giles said softly, "but you will find a way to move on."

"Maybe I don't want to move on," she muttered in reply.

"We'll all miss her," Giles said, clearing his throat.

Faith looked up and saw that the older man's eyes were glimmering with unshed tears. "I know," Faith nodded.

"We haven't always been friends, Faith," Giles stated. "But we're going to need to stick together if we're going to get through this."

"What're you saying, Giles?" Faith asked.

"I want to be your Watcher," Giles said seriously.

Faith felt tears stinging her eyes again and she looked down at the table. "I can't be Buffy," she said lowly.

"I know that," Giles replied, smiling warmly at her. "I don't want you to be."

"Okay," Faith nodded.

"Okay?" Giles asked.

"You can be my Watcher," Faith said.

Giles smiled. "It's my honor."

"So what's your plan?" Faith asked, leaning back in her chair.

"I telephoned Angel while you were at the infirmary. Apparently, he's been trying to get into Sunnydale for quite some time, but he could never get past the soldiers. He wanted to know if anyone was still alive. I told him about Buffy. He was devastated, of course," Giles explained, "but he agreed that we should go to Los Angeles with him. He has a private detective agency established there where he helps those in need. I think he could use our assistance."

"Sounds good," Faith nodded in approval.

"Once we're released, he's going to pick us up just outside of the compound's entrance," Giles stated. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to take a walk. Clear my head."

Giles rose to his feet, flashed her a brief, but kind smile, and exited the barracks. Faith watched him leave before turning back to the silent room. "Faith?" She heard a soft voice ask. Lifting her eyes, she saw Willow looking at her.

"Yeah, Red?" She answered. Willow slowly disentangled herself from Tara, carefully so as not to wake her lover, and slid off of the bed. Stretching quickly, she walked over to the seat that Giles had been occupying moments before, and sat.

"I heard what Giles said," she began.

"You don't have to come with us," Faith interrupted. "I know that you don't particularly like me."

"That's not true," Willow cut in. "I didn't like you at first, that _is_ true. But you kinda grew on me."

"Thanks," Faith smirked.

"I don't mean it as an insult," Willow rolled her eyes. "Look, if Buffy saw something in you, than there must be something there worth seeing." Pain flashed through Willow's eyes as she spoke of her best friend, and Faith had to look away. "I want to go with you. I want to help you. There may not be much left of the Scooby Gang, now, but Giles was right. We have to stick together."

"Thanks," Faith muttered gratefully. "I think I'll need all of the help that I can get."

Willow nodded and rose to her feet. Moving over to Faith, she knelt down in front of the dark haired Slayer, and pulled her into a tight embrace before the younger girl even knew what was happening. Though Faith was stiff at first, she quickly melted into the other girl's arms. "Everything's going to be okay," Willow whispered into her ear. "You're not alone."

"I know," Faith nodded.

"Don't shut us out like you did before," Willow murmured.

Faith smiled. "I won't," she promised.

"Good," Willow stated, pulling away embarrassedly, and rising to her feet. "I'm just…," she said, pointing back to Tara.

"Go ahead," Faith nodded. "I'll be alright."

"You sure?" Willow asked uncertainly.

"I'm sure," Faith nodded. Willow smiled and walked back over to the bed, lying down next to her partner again. Faith watched as the red haired witch slowly succumbed to sleep. Sighing, Faith stood and walked over to one of the windows. The sky was starting to turn a deep shade of blue. Night was falling. Her mind drifted back to Sunnydale and the nightly chorus of moaning that had filled the air when the zombies awoke to stalk the streets. She could almost hear it.

Moving over to a vacant bed, she laid down and closed her eyes. At first, sleep eluded her, tempting her, but moving away at the last moment, smiling and laughing. Then darkness began to creep into her mind until everything was gone but a complete sense of nothingness. The darkness swirled around her, blanketing her in its warmth. She felt at peace for a moment, like everything was the way that it was supposed to be. Then the darkness began to fade and something else crept into her mind, tugging at the corners of her unconsciousness. Images formed and she found herself standing in Buffy's bedroom at her old house on Revello Drive.

"What the hell," she muttered, glancing around the room. Sunlight was peering in through the window, warm and inviting. She saw a picture sitting on Buffy's nightstand of the blonde Slayer, Willow, and Xander. They had their arms around each other. They looked so happy. Faith's heart constricted, seeing the image of her lover. The bed in front of her was neatly made, but the room felt empty, like no one had been in it for quite some time. Dust lingered in the air. Faith could see it floating in the sunlight. The room smelled old. Suddenly, she was aware of someone else entering the room. Looking behind her, she saw Buffy standing in the doorway. The blonde Slayer smiled at her, but her eyes shifted past Faith, and to the bed in front of which Faith was standing.

"We just made that bed," Buffy muttered confusedly. Faith turned back and saw that the covers of the bed had been pulled back, rumpled and neglected.

"Buffy?" Faith asked, turning back to her lover.

"I know," Buffy said, shifting her eyes back to Faith, "I'm not really here, right?"

"I don't know," Faith shrugged. "Maybe I'm not really here."

"You hate me don't you?" Buffy asked, moving forward into the room. Faith could smell the vanilla aroma of her lover's shampoo.

"I couldn't hate you, B," Faith said earnestly. "I didn't before, I don't now."

"Maybe you should hate me," Buffy continued absently. "I left you."

"Buffy," Faith began, reaching out with a shaky hand. Her fingers grazed the other girl's arm. Buffy turned and smiled back at her.

"I'm sorry," Buffy replied.

"For what?" Faith asked, drawing the girl closer. Resting her hands on Buffy's waist, she touched her forehead to the older girl's.

"Everything turned out so wrong," Buffy said, her eyes filling with tears.

"It's not your fault," Faith stated.

"It's not yours either," Buffy smiled. "I know that you blame yourself."

"You just know everything, don't you?" Faith joked. Buffy smiled and tilted her head up, capturing Faith's lips with her own. Faith moaned into the kiss, relishing the feel of her lover's soft lips grazing her own.

Buffy pulled away and smiled sadly. "I think I have to go."

"No," Faith shook her head. "Just stay with me."

"I can't," Buffy stepped away, out of Faith's reach, and Faith felt cold again.

"Why not?" Faith asked, blinking away tears.

"You have somewhere to be," Buffy stated.

"Los Angeles?" Faith asked confusedly.

"No," Buffy shook her head as she started to fade from Faith's mind. "You have to descend."

"Buffy!" Faith called as the blonde Slayer vanished. "Buffy!"

"Whoa," Jay said, stepping back as Faith bolted up in her bed. "I'm not Buffy. Sorry to disappoint you."

Faith looked over at him confusedly for several long moments before her vision cleared. "Jay," she said disappointedly.

"Like I said, sorry to disappoint," Jay smirked.

"What's up?" Faith asked, rising to her feet.

"I got some news," Jay said, smiling widely.

"What's that?" Faith asked, not entirely sure that she looked the expression on his face.

"The army is assembling a team to go into the Initiative to try to find a cure for the virus," Jay explained. "They think the scientists made one before everything went to hell. And guess what? They're asking for volunteers."

"Volunteers?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Jay nodded. "How would you like to go back to Sunnydale?"


	3. A Reason To Continue

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming! For all of you 'Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow' people, I have completely outlined what I want to do with the third part of the story. So, as soon as I'm done with this one, I'll start posting that one. I know it's been a long time, so thanks for bearing with me.

Previously:

"I got some news," Jay said, smiling widely.

"What's that?" Faith asked, not entirely sure that she looked the expression on his face.

"The army is assembling a team to go into the Initiative to try to find a cure for the virus," Jay explained. "They think the scientists made one before everything went to hell. And guess what? They're asking for volunteers."

"Volunteers?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Jay nodded. "How would you like to go back to Sunnydale?"

Chapter Two: A Reason to Continue:

"A cure?" Faith asked suddenly, Jay's words registering in her mind. "There's a cure?"

"Apparently," Jay replied. "They're holding some of the Initiative scientists here. They were reluctant to talk at first, but they've been telling their interrogators some interesting things lately."

"Like what?" Faith asked eagerly.

"They were working on a virus on Sub-Level Three of the Initiative. The government had contracted it as a means of controlling wartime casualties," Jay explained.

"Which means?" Faith prompted.

"Given the increasing cost of human life inherent to modern warfare, the government wanted a way to ensure that it wouldn't lose its soldiers so easily to wounds that could be healed if they were treated at a hospital," Jay continued. "When a guy gets his leg blown off in the field, he generally dies. The blood loss becomes too much and hospitals are few and far between when you're on the front line."

"So the government contracted for a virus that would prevent those injuries from becoming fatal," Faith concluded. "Something that soldiers could carry with them and inject themselves."

"Exactly," Jay nodded. "But the Initiative took the idea a step further. They knew that they could devise something that would work quickly to heal fatal wounds. But they wanted to make something that would prevent death altogether, even after someone had died. The virus hadn't been officially named yet, but the scientists that were working on it were calling it 'Animatus' because it reanimated dead flesh. You know scientists, they have a thing for Latin."

"It brought the dead back to life," Faith whispered.

"Yeah. However, there was a problem with the virus that they hadn't expected," Jay continued.

"People weren't the same once they were brought back to life," Faith finished.

"They were violent, unpredictable," Jay stated. "And they had this crazy desire for human flesh."

"Why?" Faith asked.

"The virus was made from demon blood," Jay replied. "I don't know the specifics, but that's why the contract went to the Initiative. The Initiative dealt with demons that could live forever, demons that could regenerate body parts, and even demons that, once they were killed, could reanimate themselves. It was only natural that they would win the bid for the contract. However, demon blood is incredibly unstable. And so was the virus."

"Shit," Faith muttered, running a hand through her hair, which she had recently washed courtesy of the army's showers. It felt soft to her touch.

"So, like I said, you want to go back to Sunnydale?" Jay asked expectantly.

Faith laughed bitterly. There had been a cure to the virus that caused the zombie invasion. If only she had known that earlier, she might have been able to save her lover. Buffy had died needlessly. "Are you going?" She asked, looking up at the soldier standing before her. His green eyes twinkled back at her. He had visited the barber and his hair was shaved close to his head again. By the time they had reached the fence that had separated them from the outside world, Jay's hair had been curling around his ears. She liked his new look much better.

"Yeah," he replied seriously. "I know you may not understand why…after all, we just got out of there, but I signed up for a reason. Though the Initiative may be gone, I've still got a job to do."

"I understand," Faith nodded. "So do I."

"Does that mean you'll come with me?" Jay asked hopefully. Though he already had agreed to reenter the Initiative compound to find the cure to the virus, he was nervous. However, he felt comfortable around Faith. He knew that she would watch his back.

"I'll come with you," Faith agreed. "I'm not so sure that Giles will be happy to hear it though."

"No?" Jay asked.

"He wants me to go to Los Angeles," Faith explained.

"Would you rather go there?" Jay questioned.

Faith smiled and shook her head. "A great part of me died when Buffy did. I need to go back, if only to put everything to rest. If I can help find a cure for this thing, maybe I can find a reason to keep on going."

"Come on," Jay said, moving towards the door. "We have to sign you up before all of the spaces are gone."

"That many people volunteering huh?" Faith smirked.

Jay flushed red with embarrassment. "Well, no," he admitted. "But I want you to sign your name on the dotted line before you change your mind."

"I won't be changing my mind," Faith assured him.

"Faith?" Willow called. She had sensed the movement in her sleep. Snippets of the dark haired Slayer's conversation with Jay had floated through her dreams and she knew that Faith was leaving.

"Yeah?" Faith asked, turning back to the red haired witch. Both she and Tara had awoken and were sitting up in their bed.

"You leaving?" Willow asked, though she already knew the answer to her question.

Faith looked down at the floor for several moments before nodding slowly. "I have to."

"What happened to sticking together?" Willow asked, smiling softly.

"I'm coming back," Faith promised. "There's just something that I have to do."

"Be careful," Tara said emotionally, her voice clear and strong.

Faith smiled at the change and nodded. "I always am."

"Take care of her, okay?" Willow instructed Jay.

Jay nodded. "I don't have too many friends left," he stated. "I don't plan on losing anymore."

Jay opened the door. The light of the moon crept into the room. Faith flashed a smile back at the two witches and walked out into the night. Jay followed after and the door closed behind them with an audible bang. "When are we leaving?" Faith asked.

"Tomorrow morning," Jay answered.

"What makes you think that they'll want me to come along? I'm not in the military," Faith reminded him.

"You know the town," Jay answered matter-of-factly. "Who better to lead them?"

"What about you?" Faith asked. "You know the town."

"I do," Jay nodded. "But I'd only been there for a little while. I had just been transferred to the Initiative."

"I can't believe that I'm going back there," Faith muttered under her breath as she and Jay walked across the street. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to see the General," Jay answered. "He's the one recruiting volunteers. I'll explain to him that you want to go back. You led us out of Sunnydale, you know how to use a gun. You can lead us back in."

"And hopefully he'll say yes?" Faith finished.

"Hopefully," Jay grinned. "Listen, I'm sorry about Buffy."

"It's okay," Faith replied softly.

"I know that she meant a lot to you," he added.

"The world," Faith whispered tool low for him to hear.

"I just want you to know that if you need anything, I'm here," he said sympathetically.

"Thanks," Faith smiled.

"Here we are," Jay announced as they approached a rather large tent. Slipping inside, Faith blinked her eyes, trying to adjust them to the bright lights blazing within. "Sir," Jay stated, his voice firm.

An older man looked up at the young soldier. Faith eyed him warily. His gray hair was cropped close to his head and when his clear, blue eyes fell upon her face, she felt like he could see into her very soul. "Who's this?" He asked gruffly. He was hunched over a map of Sunnydale. In one hand he held a red marker. He was circling places on the map.

"This is Faith," Jay replied. "She's the woman who led us out of Sunnydale."

The man looked up at Faith again, scrutinizing her more closely this time. "Hello," he said finally, stretching his other hand out to her. Faith accepted it, gave it a single, firm shake, and then released it.

"Good to meet you," she replied unevenly.

"Faith wants to volunteer to go back into Sunnydale," Jay explained.

"A civilian?" The General asked. Faith thought that she heard a smirk in his voice.

"I know that it's not customary, sir," Jay added quickly. "But she knows what she's doing. Besides, she can lead us through the town better than anyone else can. She lived there."

The General stared at her for several long moments. Faith shifted uneasily under his gaze, but remained firm. Finally, he nodded. "You up for this?" He asked her.

"I am," Faith nodded.

"It's not going to be a walk in the park. I have to warn you. I don't know what's down there," he said, in reference to the Initiative. "It might not be pretty."

"I can handle it," Faith reassured him.

"And you can handle a weapon?" The General asked.

"Would you like a demonstration?" Faith snapped back.

The man smiled and shook his head. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"So she can go then?" Jay asked.

"Against my better judgment, yes, she can go. To be honest, we need people. No one's keen on volunteering, oddly enough," the General said with a laugh. "The team leaves tomorrow morning just after dawn. We'll outfit you with weapons and brief you on the details of the mission then. Might I suggest that you get some sleep? Once you get in there, you won't get another chance until you come back out."

"Thanks," Faith nodded as Jay pulled her out of the tent. He flashed a quick salute back to the General as they slipped out into the night.

"Would you like a demonstration?" Jay whispered harshly as they exited. "Are you insane?"

"What?" Faith asked defensively.

"He might have shot you for that," Jay muttered.

Faith smiled. "He didn't though, did he? I think he kinda liked me."

"I think he thought you were crazy," Jay shot back.

Faith chuckled and glanced out into the night. Ahead of her, she saw Dr. Rachel Lenz striding purposefully towards the tent. "Faith," she stated, smiling when she saw the younger girl. "I was just coming to tell the General that your tests were negative. You're not infected, though I imagine you knew that already."

"That's good news," Faith replied. "And yeah, I did."

"Looks like you're cleared to go then," Jay stated.

"Go where?" Rachel asked, glancing back and forth between them.

"I volunteered to go back into Sunnydale," Faith answered.

"Back into Sunnydale?" Rachel asked, shaking her head. "That's suicide."

"Maybe," Faith nodded. "But I always did like living dangerously."

"Well, good luck," Rachel said as Faith and Jay walked past her. "You're going to need it."

………………………………………….

When the first light of dawn was straining over the horizon, Buffy shifted uneasily in her chair atop the roof of the sporting goods store, and awoke. Blinking her eyes several times to clear them of sleep, she sat up, wincing as her back cracked. "Well that wasn't exactly comfortable," she muttered. Rising to her feet, she stretched her sore muscles. The morning was crisp and cold. Wrapping her arms around her body, she shivered. The sun slowly was rising over the edge of the world. Buffy could no longer hear the moaning of the zombies. They had disappeared back to wherever they emerged from each night.

The wound on her arm throbbed painfully, reminding her of the infection flowing through her veins. She had forgotten about it momentarily as she watched the sun struggle to climb into the sky. But the pain reminded her that she had a mission to accomplish. However, her growling stomach took precedence and she reached down into her bag. Pulling out some beef jerky and a bottle of water, she walked over to the edge of the roof, and sat down on the ledge. With her feet dangling off of the roof, she absently chewed on a strip of jerky and watched the sky turn from dark blue to orange to its regular shade of blue. The sun crept higher in the sky until it was paralleled her.

The blonde Slayer wondered where Faith was at that moment. Somehow, she felt that Faith was watching the sun rise as well. That thought made her smile. She could picture the golden rays of the sun lighting up Faith's dark, brown eyes – those eyes that had seemed so dead to her at one time, which now contained a myriad of emotions that the younger girl only had allowed Buffy to see. "Faith," Buffy whispered, her voice sighing through the breeze. "God, I miss you." She wanted nothing more than to feel the warmth of her lover's arms wrapping around her, holding her close. But she knew that she would not feel that warmth again until she was able to find a cure for the infection spreading through her body. She wondered why she had not turned already. She assumed that her Slayer strength and healing was preventing the virus from spreading too quickly through her. Perhaps her immune system was struggling to fight it.

When she had finished eating, she placed the left overs back inside of her bag and zipped it shut. Though the van sat waiting for her on the street below, Buffy decided that she was going to walk to the nearest Initiative entrance. Ultimately, she believed that it would be faster. If she took the van, she would have to pick her way through the abandoned cars littering the street. However, on her feet, she could maneuver between them easily. She remembered seeing an auxiliary entrance to the main floor of the Initiative just outside of the campus of U.C. Sunnydale. A storage shed had been constructed in the woods, which contained several flights of stairs leading deep underground. She knew that she could find it again.

Rising to her feet, she closed her eyes, and allowed the warmth of the sun to touch her face. Already, the chill of the morning was dispersing. Though Buffy knew that she might not make it to the Initiative, and, even if she did, she would have a difficult time finding the anti-virus, all she could feel was hope for the future. Every step she took brought her closer to Faith. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she moved over to the trap door. Pulling it open, she gazed down into the store. She could see no movement within. Climbing down the ladder, she moved quickly over to the stairs and descended them. Pushing open the door leading out to Main Street, she felt the anxiety that had arisen in her heart once she had entered the store again dissipate like mist rising over water.

Once she had filled her pack to the brim with food, water, and ammunition, she shouldered it and started walking. The empty streets of Sunnydale greeted her silently. She wondered if she would ever feel at home in any other place. But she knew that wherever Faith was, she would be at home. Fingering her gun absently, she glanced at the abandoned stores littering the block. She remembered when Sunnydale had been a bustling town, full of life. The memory caused a deep pain in her heart. She knew that she could not have done anything to prevent the zombie attack; yet, she felt that, as the Slayer, she should have somehow known that it was going to happen. Shaking the feeling away, she set a determined pace towards the college campus. She wanted to reach it before noon. Once she entered the Initiative, she had no idea what to expect. But she knew that as long as Faith was safe, she would have a reason to continue.


	4. Converging Paths

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

"Go where?" Rachel asked, glancing back and forth between them.

"I volunteered to go back into Sunnydale," Faith answered.

"Back into Sunnydale?" Rachel asked, shaking her head. "That's suicide."

"Maybe," Faith nodded. "But I always did like living dangerously."

"Well, good luck," Rachel said as Faith and Jay walked past her. "You're going to need it."

Chapter Three: Converging Paths:

Despite the General's advice, Faith did not sleep the night before she was to reenter Sunnydale in search of the cure for the virus that had caused the zombie invasion. She and Jay had walked back to the barracks where the survivors of the attack were staying until they all were cleared to leave. Faith had been the last person tested for the virus. She did not know what the future would bring for the rest of the group, but she knew what laid ahead in her future. Jay had fallen to sleep within minutes of his head hitting his pillow, but Faith had lain awake for hours, staring at the roof of the makeshift building. She had allowed her eyes to wander, falling onto each person about which she cared. Willow and Tara had been curled up in their bed, embracing each other tightly. Faith had smiled, though her smile had been tinged with pain. She had hoped that she and Buffy would have been so entwined, resting after their long struggle to escape.

However, that future had faded and abandoned Faith to a different course. After struggling with sleep through most of the night, Faith had wandered out into the compound, pacing the dirt streets restlessly until the sun began to rise over the horizon. She sat the hood of a car and watched the sky change before her eyes. The blackness of night faded into a dark blue that lightened until a spread of orange and red grew on the horizon. Though she was alone, comforted only by the cool breeze caressing her face, she felt as though another presence was with her – Buffy. She shivered, wrapping her arms tightly around her body. The sun broke free from its confines and barreled over the edge of the world, shooting up into the sky. For a moment, it was dazzling.

Faith felt as though Buffy was sitting next to her, watching the sunrise with her on the hood of the car. But when she turned her gaze to the side, all she saw was empty space. Yet, she had felt so sure that someone was there. Shaking the feeling away, she smiled when she heard footsteps approaching her. "I wondered when you would come find me," she said huskily, her voice rough and strained from lack of sleep.

Giles smiled and sat down next to her, gazing ponderously into the sky for several moments before replying. "Willow told me of your intentions."

"They're not my intentions, G-man," Faith corrected. "I _am_ going back."

"Can I persuade you out of it?" Giles asked, glancing over at her.

Faith smiled and looked down at the ground. "They say there's a cure."

"Will it help anyone in Sunnydale?" Giles asked.

Faith sighed. "No," she replied after several long moments.

"Why do _you _have to go back?" Giles pressed. "They're sending a team of soldiers – highly trained and qualified soldiers. They can handle it."

"Jay's going," Faith stated. "I can't let him go alone."

"He can handle himself," Giles argued.

"That's not the only reason," Faith said softly.

"What else?" Giles asked. The orange and red in the sky was starting to fade into blue. The sun, fully revealed, rode higher in the sky. People were starting to awaken and Giles could hear the booted footsteps of soldiers reporting for duty.

"I _have_ to go back," Faith reasoned. "I don't know why. I just feel it. I'm not done there yet."

Giles sighed heavily. "The world needs you, Faith."

"Sunnydale needs me," Faith countered.

"Sunnydale is dead," Giles said firmly. "And so is Buffy," he added in a softer voice.

"I remember," Faith muttered angrily.

"You can't go back there and save her. It's too late for her now," Giles replied.

"I know that!" Faith yelled, rising to her feet. Pacing away from the Watcher, she folded her arms across her chest. "I know that."

"Then why are you going back?" Giles inquired desperately.

"I don't know," Faith shrugged. "I told you. I just have to."

"Buffy would want you to be safe. She died so that all of us could be safe," Giles argued. "How do you think she would feel if she knew that you were going back there?"

"Like you said, Giles," Faith said numbly, "Buffy is dead. It doesn't matter what she would think anymore."

Giles chuckled mirthlessly. "So that's it, then, is it? You want to go back because you don't care about anything anymore. You want to test the limits. Rebel against the Powers that Be. Spit in the face of death and laugh. Maybe you even want to die."

"I don't want to die," Faith countered.

"But you don't want to live, either. Not without Buffy," Giles interrupted. "I can see that in your eyes."

"So what?" Faith shot back. "Is that so wrong? I loved her more than you could ever understand. She's the only person who knew what it was like to be me. She knew everything that I did….all of those horrible things and she still loved me."

"You can find acceptance with us, too, Faith," Giles sighed. "We've all forgiven you."

"It's not enough," Faith said simply. Looking over Giles' shoulder, she saw Jay walk out of the barracks, and determinedly move over to them. "I think that it's time for me to go," she said absently.

"Faith," Giles started, but Jay interrupted.

"It's time," he said. "We have to report for the mission briefing."

Faith nodded. "And then we're back to Sunnydale?" She asked.

"Yeah," Jay nodded. "Oh, we'll have to get you a uniform," he added as an afterthought.

Faith smirked. "I'm in the army now, huh?" She joked.

"If you're determined to go, I can't stop you," Giles interjected, rising to his feet. "I just hope that you know what you're doing."

Faith smiled at his words. She rarely knew what she was doing. "Of course I do," she lied.

"Be careful," Giles stated, hesitating a moment before pulling her into a quick embrace. Faith stiffly returned it, smiling awkwardly when Giles pulled away. "You as well," he said, shaking Jay's hand. "Take care of her."

"I will," Jay promised.

"I know you don't understand this, Giles," Faith said. "Neither do I. It's just something that I have to do."

Giles smiled softly and nodded. "I suppose I have to respect that."

"I'll see you guys in Los Angeles. Take care of the witches," Faith said as she and Jay walked away.

Giles watched them for several long moments until they turned down another road and disappeared from view. "Good luck," he whispered into the wind.

………………………………..

After changing into her uniform and receiving her army issued assault rifle, Faith and Jay reported to the tent where the other two mission volunteers were waiting. Faith eyed them warily. Jay introduced himself, while Faith lingered back. The first volunteer, Diego, was a man who looked to be about thirty. He had black hair that was shaved close to his head. His blue eyes glittered in the sunlight and a shadow of dark stubble graced his cheeks and chin. The other volunteer, Marc, was a muscularly built man, shorter than the first, with short blonde hair and brown eyes. Both were dressed identically to Faith and Jay, wearing black boots, black pants, black long sleeved shirts, and black bullet proof vests.

Faith smiled and shook their hands, though she wondered if they truly were prepared for what lay ahead of them in Sunnydale. The General entered the tent a short time later and the dark haired Slayer took a seat in one of the folding chairs arranged neatly before a podium. "Hello all," the General greeted them. "You four have been assigned the duty of entering the Initiative compound underneath of U.C. Sunnydale, where we believe that a cure to the virus known as Animatus exists," he explained gruffly. "Faith," he said, pointing to her, "will lead you through Sunnydale to the main entrance of the Initiative. Once you're inside, Jay will lead you to Sub Level Three. We believe that the anti-virus is located in one of the laboratories on this level. Any questions so far?" He asked, looking around.

When no one spoke up, he continued, "You will be taken into Sunnydale by Jeep. Once you're clear of the fences, you'll be one your own."

"Why aren't we being dropped off by helicopter?" Diego asked.

"Noise attracts the zombies," the General answered. "We want you four in and out without any incidents. It would be faster to use a helicopter," he admitted, "but you would needlessly be drawing attention to yourselves. If you're on foot, however, no one will even know that you're there," he explained. "The power is down in town, but the quickest way to the first floor of the Initiative is by the main elevator. Thus, with your gear, you'll find equipment for rappelling down the elevator shaft. You're being equipped with enough food, water, ammunition, and supplies for five days. If, after five days, you have not returned to the rendezvous site where you were dropped off, we will assume that you have failed in the mission and are not returning."

"Five days?" Faith whispered over to Jay.

The soldier shrugged. "We're liabilities. They've already written us off. I think they'd be more surprised if we actually succeeded than anything else," he replied softly.

"Your escort is waiting for you outside," the General concluded. "Find the anti-virus and bring it back. Dismissed."

The group collectively rose and Faith followed Jay out of the tent. A Jeep was waiting for them, idling absently. Grabbing the pack assigned to her, she slung it over her shoulder and walked over to the Jeep. Drawing in a deep breath, she looked over at the barracks. Willow, Tara, and Giles were standing outside. Tara raised her hand, flashing Faith a farewell wave. Faith smiled slightly in return and tossed her bag into the cargo area of the Jeep. Turning away from her friends, she climbed into the back. Once everyone was aboard, the Jeep rambled forward, kicking up a cloud of dust. Faith was heading back to Sunnydale.

………………………..

The sun was beating down on Buffy as she sat underneath a tree on the side of the road to prepare her mid-afternoon meal. Among the food items they had packed upon leaving the Bronze were some of the remaining prepackaged sandwiches, on which the people who had initially fled to the club had been dining. Buffy pulled one out of her pack and glanced at the wrapping. The ham and cheese sandwich was slightly rumpled from its hasty packing, and as Buffy's stomach grumbled loudly, she decided that it would more than suffice. Ripping off the wrapper, she tossed it to the side and bit into the sandwich. Sighing contently, she mulled the food over in her mouth. She had been walking for most of the day, stopping every once in a while to rest and map her route.

She had made good progress during the day. She was close to the college campus. Once she reached U.C. Sunnydale, she would have to leave the road and enter the woods that surrounded the school. If her memory was correct, a couple of miles into the forest she would find the entrance for which she was looking. Though she had started walking at a good pace, she found that she unconsciously had been slowing down during the last couple of hours. Her body was growing tired. She hoped that the food would provide the energy that she needed to continue, though she knew that a deadly virus was working its way through her system and that virus could account for her exhaustion. A dull pain lingered in the back of her mind and Buffy closed her eyes, leaning back against the tree as she ate her food.

The sun was mercilessly hot. A cool breeze had kicked up in the morning, but by the time the sun had reached its apex in the sky, the breeze had died and, with it, any source of cool air. As she sat, Buffy was again struck by the utter silence that pervaded Sunnydale. Though the day was beautiful, with a clear blue sky, she could not hear any birds chirping, or any sounds of life other than the beating of her own heart resounding in her ears. She never could remember being surrounded by such silence. When the zombies had attacked, she had barricaded herself in her dormitory room with Willow, Tara, and Riley. The silence had not affected her because she had been surrounded by people.

However, now that she was alone, she noted the silence markedly. She wondered if Faith had made the same observation upon leaving the hospital after she had awoken from her coma. Buffy only could imagine how frightened she must have been to awake to an abandoned town full of zombies. The blonde Slayer shivered, realizing how much of Faith's life of which she had not been a part. She wished that her lover was with her to guide her through the challenge that lay before her, but she wanted more than anything for Faith to be safe. She pictured Faith's face in her mind. She could see the younger Slayer's long, dark hair and feel the intensity of her eyes. Buffy had seen so much love in those eyes coupled with so much pain.

She almost could feel the touch of Faith's lips on her neck; the sensation of her warm hands sliding up her stomach; the weight of her body pressing against hers. Opening her eyes, she shook away those thoughts, knowing that they would only distract her from what she had to do. She finished her sandwich and pulled herself to her feet. The world seemed to spin for a moment, but she blinked away the dizziness and shouldered her bag. Moving back out onto the road, she started walking. She tried to forget that she was infected. Whenever she thought about it, she felt as though she could feel the virus crawling underneath of her skin. Sometimes it was almost too much.

Finally, she reached the campus and paused for a moment to congratulate herself. She could hear the moaning of the zombies that wandered throughout the school – the first thing to break the silence that had hovered around her all that day. She had come to a critical juncture in her journey. She had to break from the road, venturing into the forest and relying on her memory to lead her through to the auxiliary entrance of the Initiative. Sighing, she moved forward until her feet left the concrete and hit the grass. "I'm coming, Faith," she murmured. "I'm coming."


	5. Staring into Darkness

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

The group collectively rose and Faith followed Jay out of the tent. A Jeep was waiting for them, idling absently. Grabbing the pack assigned to her, she slung it over her shoulder and walked over to the Jeep. Drawing in a deep breath, she looked over at the barracks. Willow, Tara, and Giles were standing outside. Tara raised her hand, flashing Faith a farewell wave. Faith smiled slightly in return and tossed her bag into the cargo area of the Jeep. Turning away from her friends, she climbed into the back. Once everyone was aboard, the Jeep rambled forward, kicking up a cloud of dust. Faith was heading back to Sunnydale.

Chapter Four: Staring into Darkness:

Dust swirled in front of her eyes, her hair blowing back and trailing out behind her as the Jeep rambled over the dirt road leading out of the army compound and towards Sunnydale. Faith squinted in the sunlight, her hands resting idly on the gun strapped to her chest, the fingers of her left hand tapping it absently. Jay was sitting beside her, a picture of complete calm. Faith wondered how he managed to control the anxiety that surely must have been rising up within him. She felt as though she could not sit still. The Jeep lurched over a bump in the road and Jay smiled over at her. "You okay?" He asked, his voice carrying through the wind to her ears.

"Five by five," Faith answered, briefly flashing him a smile before she looked away. The outer fence loomed before them. The sun was crawling through sky and, already, Faith was starting to feel warm. It was going to be a hot day. The Jeep slowed to a halt outside of the fence and two soldiers walked over to it. They spoke briefly with the driver and waved the vehicle forward. A gate opened before them and the Jeep sped through. They had entered the space between the two fences. "I thought there were land mines here," she said.

The driver smiled in the rearview mirror and glanced back at her. "Not here," he replied. "We're on the only access road between fences that isn't rigged."

"That's good," Faith mumbled, staring out at the barren landscape before her. She could see the highway leading from Sunnydale to the outside world through the inner fence. Frowning, she noticed something peculiar about the area where she and the others had jumped the fence. She could see the exact spot, but she could not see the van that they had left parked several yards behind them anywhere. "Where'd it go?" She muttered to herself.

"What did you say?" Jay asked, looking over at her.

"Nothing," Faith shook her head. "It's not important."

The Jeep reached the inner fence and another gate. This time, the driver exited the vehicle and walked up to the fence. Scanning the area in front of him, he opened the gate once he was certain that doing so would not put him or the rest of the world in danger. "This is where you get off," he stated. Faith climbed out of the back of the Jeep, happy when her feet touched the ground. The other three soldiers joined her and, together, they walked through the gate. The driver closed it behind them. It clanged shut and Faith suddenly felt as if she had made a terrible mistake. "Remember," the driver warned, "you have five days. If you're not back by then, no one's coming in after you."

"Thanks for the reminder," Faith sarcastically replied.

"Okay," Mark said, capturing the group's attention, "we're officially on the clock now, guys. Let's get moving. Faith," he paused, motioning for her to take the lead position, "I believe you're in charge until we reach the Initiative."

Faith looked around at the faces of the people standing before her. Behind her, she heard the Jeep's pull away. A cloud of dust kicked up and she repressed the urge to cough. "It's okay," Jay whispered. "We've got your back."

Faith looked over at him and smiled. "Thanks, man," she replied. Moving forward, she fingered her gun anxiously and began walking. The group filed in line behind her. Jay held the rear while Mark and Diego respectively filled in the middle. Silence hung over them as they walked. Avoiding the highway, they chose a path through the meadow surrounding the road. The grass was tall and lush and, as Faith walked, it grazed the side of her face with the delicacy of a lover's touch. Sighing, she realized, not for the first time, how much she missed Buffy. The sun beat down on her ruthlessly and she felt beads of sweat creeping down the small of her back.

"I see why they call this place Sunnydale," Diego muttered, wiping his brow with his black gloved hand. "It's hot as hell."

"Welcome to Southern California," Jay said amiably.

"How long did you live here?" Mark asked, nodding to Faith.

"I lived here for about two years," Faith replied. "But I was only conscious for about half of that."

"What do you mean?" Diego asked.

"I was in a coma for eight months," Faith answered. "I woke up and zombies had invaded."

"That sucks," Mark muttered.

"You have no idea," Faith agreed.

"The General said you led the rest of the survivors out of here," Diego commented.

"She did," Jay affirmed.

Faith smiled crookedly and replied, "It wasn't just me."

"You think you can get us to the campus by nightfall?" Diego asked.

"I can get you there before nightfall if we haul ass," Faith shot back, sensing that, perhaps, the soldier was doubting her physical capabilities.

Diego smiled and raised his hands defensively. "Down girl," he joked. "I wasn't trying to suggest that you couldn't. I was just curious."

"Look boys," Faith sighed, turning to face them, "I get that you've all been trained to do shit like this. But trust me; I know what I'm doing. When shit hits the fan, you'll be glad I'm here."

"No offense," Mark countered, "But you're just a girl."

"I'm a girl with an assault rifle strapped to her chest," Faith retorted. "So you might want to pay me some respect. Besides, I could kick your ass and if you don't believe me, we can throw down right now," Faith offered. Mark chuckled and shook his head.

"For some reason, I believe you," he stated. "Maybe it's because you survived in a zombie infested town long enough to lead a group of people out. Or maybe because you're just a scary chick."

"Good," Faith nodded, smiling slightly. "Just so we're clear."

"We're clear," Diego confirmed. "Now, I think you mentioned something about hauling ass?"

"I did," Faith nodded. "Let's go." Turning, she started walking again, progressively picking up her pace until she and the other soldiers were trotting through the meadow. She could see the entrance of the highway lingering in the haze of the day ahead of them. She could no longer see the smoke of the burning van, however, and assumed that it had burned itself to nothing. Again, she wondered to where the other van had disappeared. Shaking the thought from her mind, she pushed forward. The sound of the soldiers' boots slapping onto the ground as they ran was the only sound that interrupted the quiet that had become Sunnydale.

…………………………….

"Son of a …," Buffy muttered as the thin, spindly branch of a tree slapped back into her face as she walked. Shoving the branch out of the way, she stumbled forward through the thick cluster of trees and out into an opening of grass and wildflowers, where the sun was shining down happily. Her cheek stung from the slap of the branch and, reaching up, she rubbed the side of her face gingerly. "Stupid nature," she grumbled. Tossing her pack onto the ground, she flopped down on the grass and sighed heavily. The sun was starting to descend, moving lower and lower in the sky, which was turning a darker shade of blue. Buffy had been walking through the forest for several hours, completely lost, and wondering if she would ever find the auxiliary entrance of the Initiative.

The trees, spaced evenly when she had first entered the forest, had grown closer together and thicker, until she felt as though she was wandering through a jungle untouched by man for centuries. She wondered how often anyone bothered to walk through the forest, or if the Initiative soldiers had been the only ones to attempt it. Lying back down on the green grass, she closed her eyes. The sun caressed her face, not in the oppressively hot way that it had earlier in the day, but warm and gentle in the fading afternoon light. She knew that she should continue moving, but she felt exhausted. Her limbs hung heavily at her side and she wanted nothing more than to sleep.

She felt herself starting to doze as she lay there and, forcibly, she opened her eyes. The sun shone brightly above her, but it had sunk even further. Sighing, she sat up and grabbed her backpack. She rummaged through it for a bottle of water, which she quickly found. Unscrewing the cap, she lifted the bottle to her lips and tilted it back. The cool and refreshing water slid down her throat and she smiled. Once she had finished drinking, she placed the bottle back into her pack and stood. Stretching her tired muscles, she inhaled deeply, focusing all of her strength and energy on staying as healthy as possible, despite the infection flowing through her veins. "I'm gonna be fine," she whispered in a mantra that had been echoing in her mind for the entire day. "I'm gonna find the cure and I'm gonna get out of here. Once I do, I'm gonna find Faith and live happily every after."

Shouldering her pack again, she started walking. She felt as though every tree that she passed she had passed earlier in the day. She was starting to think that she was walking in circles. Her frustration was starting to mount after another half of an hour of struggling through the forest without any indication that she was walking in the correct direction. However, the second time that she stopped to regain her bearings, a rotten smell wafted into her nostrils. She almost gagged, but covered her mouth and nose. She could smell decaying flesh. She knew she was close. Moving towards the smell, she finally stumbled upon the auxiliary entrance to the Initiative. It looked like a rickety shed standing alone in the middle of the forest; however, she knew that within the dilapidated structure was a trap door that led to a staircase, which descended down to the main floor of the compound.

Lying outside of the shed were two decaying bodies. Buffy grimaced as she walked closer. The smell only increased. Standing over the bodies, she shook her head silently. She recognized the camouflaged pattern of the clothes hanging loosely from their shrunken, bony bodies. Both men were clutching guns in their hands, and though Buffy knew that she should probably take them, the thought of trying to pry the weapons from their dead fingers sickened her. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Though she could not be certain what had happened to them, she believed that she knew. The soldiers had not been bitten, or they would have risen again as zombies. From their placement on the ground, Buffy theorized that they had known what was going to happen, perhaps they had been warned that zombies were escaping from within the Initiative, and they had killed each other because they knew that they had no chance of escape.

Looking past the bodies, she saw the door of the shed hanging ajar. It was dark within the structure and Buffy quickly rummaged through her pack for her flashlight. Turning it on, she moved forward. The beam of light crept into the shed as she pulled the door open fully. She could not see anything lingering inside, but she fingered the gun in her other hand nervously. The same smell of decay that had emanated from the dead bodies lying in the forest was also drifting up strongly from the open trapped door in the floor before her. Moving over to it, she glanced down into the hole. An overwhelming darkness gazed back up at her. She suddenly felt very afraid.

She did not want to have to descend into that darkness, but she knew that she had to if she was going to find the cure to the virus spreading throughout her body. Taking a moment to calm her raging fear, she placed the flashlight in her mouth, clutched it tightly between her teeth, and lowered herself into the hole. Her searching fingers found the first rung of the vertical ladder that would lead her down. Resting her feet a lower rung, she mentally congratulated herself for taking the first step, and starting descending. The darkness grew thicker as she climbed. Looking up, she saw the light of the outside world starting to fade as she descended lower and lower through the ground. While silence had hung over everything in the forest above, Buffy noticed a disheartening sound rising up from beneath her. She could hear zombies moaning deep from within the Initiative. She wondered how many remained inside of the compound. She knew that only one person, who had been infected with the virus, had to have escaped the base for the infection to spread through the town. However, she wondered how many people had been left behind and how many people had escaped.

Finally, her feet hit the ground. Removing the flashlight from her mouth, she slowly turned, allowing the beam to dance down the abandoned staircase leading to the main floor. She remembered from her tour of the compound that the staircase seemed to wind itself down through the ground forever. However, she knew that her only choice, if she wanted to retrieve the anti-virus, was to descend it. It would have been quicker for her to try to rappel down the elevator shaft, but she doubted if her strength would have held. Already, she felt almost too weak to tackle the staircase waiting before her. But she knew that she had to keep moving. Sighing heavily, she took a step forward and started her last descent.


	6. Heavy in the Silence

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming. I have finals this week, but I hope to update as often.

Previously:

"I did," Faith nodded. "Let's go." Turning, she started walking again, progressively picking up her pace until she and the other soldiers were trotting through the meadow. She could see the entrance of the highway lingering in the haze of the day ahead of them. She could no longer see the smoke of the burning van, however, and assumed that it had burned itself to nothing. Again, she wondered to where the other van had disappeared. Shaking the thought from her mind, she pushed forward. The sound of the soldiers' boots slapping onto the ground as they ran was the only sound that interrupted the quiet that had become Sunnydale.

Chapter Five: Heavy in the Silence:

She remembered nightmares that began much like the situation into which she found herself – overwhelming darkness, oppressive heat, and inhuman wailing coupled with an absolute stillness that almost was more terrifying than the noises themselves. She had to force herself to take each step down the staircase leading to the main floor of the Initiative. Each time her shoes struck concrete and echoed dully down into the darkness, she swore that she had revealed herself to the zombies waiting below. However, nothing ever attacked her in the darkness, nothing ever came. She was descending perpetually, while the sound of the zombies intensified, until she felt as though she would scream. The yellow light of her flashlight danced on the walls of the staircase, revealing splatters of old blood that graced them like the red paint of an angry abstract artist.

Buffy shivered and moved her flashlight away from the bloody walls, directing it down towards the infinite darkness before her. "This was _such_ a good idea," she muttered. "Let's go down into the big, dark hole with all of the scary monsters. Nothing bad could ever happen down there," she scoffed. "Me and my stupid ideas. This is why I need Giles," she concluded. "He'd know what to do." But Buffy knew that the only way that she would ever see Giles – or Faith, or Willow, or Tara – again was if she continued moving forward, down into the blackness, to find the cure to the zombie infection. She found the motivation to continue in that thought, but also in the knowledge that by finding the cure, she might be able to help others similarly plighted. Though the army seemed to have quarantined Sunnydale within a series of fences, Buffy knew that no guarantee existed that the zombies would not discover a way to break free from the confines and infect whomever they could.

However, with a cure, people could arm themselves against such an attack. Buffy knew that her responsibility as a Slayer should have been the primary motivation for her decision to enter the Initiative. Her destiny was to save others from the things that most people did not know existed. In some respects, she felt as though she had failed that destiny by failing to stop the zombies from destroying what remained of Sunnydale. However, when chaos had erupted, her only thought had been to protect the people that she loved. She had cared about nothing else. Consequently, she had locked herself, Willow, Tara, and Riley into her dormitory room, where they had remained until Faith had rescued them. Though she knew that her destiny always should motivate her actions above anything else, she had to acknowledge that it rarely did. Even know, the thought that she could help the world by finding the anti-virus came second to the thought that she had to cure herself so that she could find Faith.

The thought of her lover brought a weary sigh to her lips. She missed the dark haired Slayer more and more with each hour that past, bringing her closer to death, and the inevitability of never seeing her girlfriend in the living world again. Pausing for a moment to rest, she sat down on one of the stairs. The concrete was cold against the bare skin of her back revealed when she sat and she smiled, happy for some relief against the oppressive heat rising up from the depths of the Initiative. The moaning of the zombies reached her ears in a constant drone that chilled her to the bones. She hated that sound. She remembered being surrounded by it at the campus. She had lain awake at night, listening to the zombies while her friends lay asleep around her. Always, she protected them. Always, she stood sentinel over them. She had even before the attack. Despite her efforts, she had lost several people who had found homes in her heart.

She wanted to feel the warmth of Faith's arms wrapped around her waist. She wanted to feel the tickle of Faith's breath against her skin. But more than anything, she wanted to feel the low humming again that always entered her mind when Faith was around. She had stopped feeling it when she had been bitten. The zombie virus seemed to have severed her tie with the mystical energy that comprised the Slayer. She missed her connection with that energy, but more, she missed her connection to Faith. She wondered if Faith still was able to feel her, or if Faith had lost the connection as well. Shaking away her thoughts, she focused on her mission. She knew that she only had one more set of stairs to descend before she would reach the doors leading to the main floor of the compound. Vaguely in the darkness, she could see a dull light. She imagined that, though the power had been shut down in town, the Initiative had emergency generators that would continue to pump electricity through the compound to ensure that the monsters contained within did not escape.

At least, she hoped that the Initiative scientists had thought that far in advance. She dreaded the thought of encountering more zombies, though she knew that she would, but she feared more the thought of encountering half starved vampires and demons freed from their cages, but trapped underground. With any luck, those demons and vampires still would be locked away, unable to prevent her from accomplishing her task. Pulling herself to her feet again, she continued descending. The further down she climbed, the hotter it seemed to become. Tiny beads of sweat trailed down her face. Her clothes stuck to her skin and she felt as though she was being suffocated by the fabric.

The dull light lingering before her grew brighter as she walked forward until she could see everything lying before her without the aid of the flashlight. She sighed gratefully when she finally reached the last stair. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest; she never before had felt so out of breath. A dim ache grew in her brain and she winced slightly as the pain crashed into her. Wiping the dripping sweat from her face, she glanced at the set of double doors before her. They were constructed of reinforced steel and the only way to open them was with a pass code that had to be entered into a touchpad next to the door. Fortunately, Buffy remembered the code. Moving over to the door with a determined stride, she lifted her hand and paused. Her fingers hovered over the keys on the touchpad. She knew that once she opened the door, she would have to face whatever lay within the Initiative.

But she was a Slayer, before Faith she had been _the_ Slayer, and she knew that she could handle whatever was waiting for her on the other side of the door. She just had to conquer her fear. Once the door was opened, she would become the Slayer again. But before that, she was just a scared girl standing outside a compound full of monsters with a deadly infection spreading throughout her body. Her eyes fluttered shut momentarily as she inhaled deeply. Holding the breath for a moment, she exhaled slowly, smiling as her fear drained from her body, leaving only resolution and determination. Typing the code into the touchpad, she fingered her gun anxiously as she doors suddenly slid open. A small hallway opened before her, leading to the main room of the main floor of the Initiative compound.

As she stepped through the doors, she realized that the last leg of her journey had begun. She was inside of the Initiative. Somewhere in the maze of rooms and floors comprising the compound was an anti-virus that would save her life. She just hoped that she reached it in time. She had to locate the staircase that led to the third sublevel. Once she had reached that, her search would begin. The door slammed seamlessly shut behind her with a barely audible clang. Buffy was grateful for her silent entrance. Standing in the shadows of the hallway, she took a moment to survey her surroundings. Cold dread seeped into her heart as she stared out onto the main floor of the base. Zombies roamed freely across the room, moaning their hunger and discontent in a perpetual chorus. Buffy recognized lab coats and military uniforms covering their bodies and her fear that most of the Initiative employees had failed to escape the compound was confirmed. She wondered just how many zombies there were wandering throughout the base.

Clicking the hammer of the gun back, she stayed her initial reaction to start shooting at everything that moved. She instantly realized that she did not possess enough ammunition to kill every zombie in the Initiative. Further, firing her gun would only attract attention that she did not want or need. Relaxing the grip of her trembling hand on the gun, she tried to think rationally. The main floor of the compound was composed of several separate sections. She could sneak between computer terminals, remaining in the shadows of the dim emergency lighting, and possibly reach the stairwell without attracting any attention. She smiled, happy with her plan, and stepped forward. However, as she did, she saw a form pass in front of the entrance of the hallway. It stopped when it saw her, its yellowed eyes glowing in the dark. With a shrill wail, it effectively silenced the rest of the zombies. An overwhelming quiet fell over the room and Buffy audibly gulped. "Oh shit," she murmured as the zombie charged.

…………………………….

"We're here," Faith stated solemnly as they reached the hill announcing the entrance of the U.C. Sunnydale campus. She could hear the zombies on the other side of the hill moaning hungrily and she shuddered at the thought of what they would do to her if they caught her. She almost could feel their teeth ripping the flesh from her body. Though the thought sickened her, she wondered if that fate would not be better than the prospect of living a life without her lover.

"The Initiative entrance is located in the frat house," Jay explained. "I can lead us from here."

"Good," Diego nodded. "Faith? Take the middle with Mark. I'll guard the rear."

"There are a lot of zombies on the other side of that hill," Faith warned. "If we want to make it to the frat house, we have to be quick."

"Do not fire unless at all necessary," Mark concluded. "We don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

"Agreed," Diego nodded.

"Everyone ready?" Jay asked. The group collectively nodded and began ascending the hill. The moaning grew louder. When they reached the crest, Diego, Mark, and Jay sucked in an awed breath at the sight before them.

"When you said a lot of zombies…," Diego began, "well, I believed you. But _this_ is more than a lot of zombies."

"I told you," Faith smiled smugly. "Someone regretting the decision to come?"

"Maybe," Diego admitted.

"Hell yeah," Mark freely stated.

"I'm not," Faith said, pushing forward. "I came here for a reason. We all did. The sooner we accomplish our mission, we can leave."

"Get on with our lives," Jay muttered under his breath.

Faith smiled and looked over at him. "Whatever they might be."

Faith followed Jay as he led the group on the same path that she and Anya had walked when they had first come to the campus to rescue Buffy. She smiled at the memory. Though she only really had known Anya for a short time, she had bonded quickly with the ex-vengeance demon. Her smile quickly faded as she thought of the end that Anya had met when trying to reach the Bronze after rescuing Buffy. The blonde girl had not deserved such a fate. She had been a hero and she had died a hero, but Faith sometimes wondered if that was enough. She wondered if Anya really had wanted to die a hero, or if she had wanted just to live her life simply and contently with Xander without any pressing circumstances requiring heroic actions.

Faith wondered the same for herself often. She loved being a Slayer. Her calling had saved her from a life that she could not imagine, but at the same time, condemned her to a life that she was not certain that she wanted. Before Buffy, the violence had been enough for her. Destroying evil had been enough. Being a hero had been enough. However, after she had discovered Buffy's feelings for her, Faith had begun to question whether she really wanted the life of the Slayer. Living in peace with the woman she loved seemed like such an attractive option. Though, she had to admit that before Buffy had been bitten, she had relished the thrill of slaying with her lover. They had been connected in a way that she knew that she could never be connected with another person again. The thought that the connection that they had shared had been permanently severed saddened her beyond any grief that she had ever experienced.

The group reached the first building without incident. Hiding in its shade, Faith snapped out of her thoughts. "The frat house is just over there," Jay said, pointing a gloved hand at a building several yards away. "The elevator leading down to the Initiative main floor is located inside."

"In the frat house?" Mark questioned.

"We were a secret organization," Jay quipped. "Couldn't be too obvious."

"Frat house doesn't exactly scream organization and discipline," Faith stated.

"It is a rather good choice," Diego nodded.

"Once we reach the elevator shaft, we'll rappel down per our instructions. There's a staircase on the main floor that will lead down to the third sub level, where the anti-virus supposedly was being housed," Jay explained.

"Once we retrieve the anti-virus, we retreat. We'll meet the Jeep at the fence and be home free," Mark finished.

"Sounds so simple," Faith noted.

"But I don't think that it will be," Diego added. "Not with this many zombies."

"We may have been able to get this far without attracting attention, but I don't know what will happen once we enter the Initiative," Jay acknowledged. "There could be a significant number of zombies still inside."

"We may have to shoot our way down," Diego murmured.

"I can handle that," Faith said, patting her gun affectionately.

Diego smirked. "You have a thing for violence, huh?" He asked.

"Just a bit," Faith admitted.

"What is it about you?" Mark asked.

"What do you mean?" Faith questioned.

"How come you could lead a group of people out of a zombie infested hot zone when no one else could?" He furthered.

"What are you? Like a hot chick with superpowers or something?" Diego joked.

"Actually," Faith started.

"You're kidding, right?" Mark asked as the group left the shelter of the building and darted across the grass towards the frat house.

"I'm not kidding," Faith stated. "I _am_ a hot chick," she smirked. "And I have superpowers."

"Just don't ask, man," Jay stressed. When they reached the outside of the frat house, Jay pulled open the front door. The house was quiet inside, but they all knew better than to trust the silence. "The elevator is on the second floor," he stated as they began to ascend the stairs.

"I don't like the quiet," Diego said nervously.

"Pull it together, Diego," Mark replied. "We can't have you freaking out on us."

"I'm not freaking out," Diego said defensively. "I'm just saying that I don't like the quiet."

"Neither do I," Faith said softly.

"Almost there," Jay announced as they reached the top of the stairs and began to move down a hallway. As Jay passed one of the bedrooms, the door slammed opened, effectively cutting the group in half. Out of the bedroom stumbled a half naked frat boy with long, diagonal scratch marks running up and down his chest. Faith could tell from his yellowed eyes that he had been turned. Before she could raise her gun, however, Diego fired a single shot that split the man's skull in half. The body dropped to the floor and Faith breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's just hope that no one heard that," Diego broke the silence.

"We better move," Jay said, shaken slightly. "The elevator's right here. You ever get the impression that this was a bad idea?" Jay asked lowly so that only Faith could hear.

Faith smiled grimly and nodded. "All the time."


	7. Familiar Faces

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

Buffy smiled, happy with her plan, and stepped forward. However, as she did, she saw a form pass in front of the entrance of the hallway. It stopped when it saw her, its yellowed eyes glowing in the dark. With a shrill wail, it effectively silenced the rest of the zombies. An overwhelming quiet fell over the room and Buffy audibly gulped. "Oh shit," she murmured as the zombie charged.

Chapter Six: Familiar Faces:

The zombie slammed into her before she had a chance to lift her gun. With a grunt, Buffy fell to the ground, the zombie lying on top of her. Fortunately, she retained her hold on her gun. She could smell the zombie's acrid breath as it opened its mouth and hissed hungrily down at her. Buffy flashed back to the moment on the surface when everything had suddenly spiraled out of control. She could still feel pain of teeth ripping through her flesh, the warmth of the sun on her face, and the feel her connection to Faith buzzing in her mind. Anger boiled up inside of her when she thought of all of the things that she had lost because of that one moment and, screaming with frustration, she lifted the zombie off of her chest with her legs, propelling it backwards. Aiming her gun, she pulled the trigger as the zombie scrambled to its feet and rushed towards her. The smell of gunpowder filled the air, a pop resounded through the main floor of the Initiative, and a veil of smoke covered Buffy's eyes. The smoke stung, but she watched as the zombie crumpled as the bullet struck its forehead.

As the gunshot echoed throughout the cavernous room, Buffy realized that firing her gun may have been a mistake. As the sound faded, Buffy was unnerved by the overwhelming silence that lingered around her like a ghostly presence. Picking herself up off of the floor, she groaned when she saw more pairs of eyes than she cared to count staring at her ravenously. A moan escaped the lips of one zombie, which was quickly joined by more, until Buffy felt as though she was surrounded. The silence instantly was replaced by a perpetual wail that chilled her to the bones. Tears pricked at her eyes and she pressed her hands to her ears. Running down the hallway, she entered the room and directed her feet towards a bank of computers. The zombies began to move towards her, slowly at first, but they picked up speed as she ran by them. Ducking behind the computer terminals, she tried to clear her mind to think, but found that she could not banish the famished sound of the wailing zombies from her mind. Craning her head around the desk that she was sitting behind, she saw the door to the stairwell, but a cluster of zombies stood in front of it barring the way.

She realized that, without help, she would never make it to the door. She could not shoot every zombie in the room and her exertion climbing down the stairs of the auxiliary entrance had exhausted her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and echoing in her ears. She wanted nothing more than to rest, but she knew that she had to continue. Scrambling to her feet as a pair of zombies descended upon her, she quickly surveyed the room, and realized that she had only one direction in which she could travel. The zombies were blocking all of the hallways and stairwells except for one corridor that stretched black and long before her. Dim, blue emergency lights lit a glowing line along the floor that Buffy followed with her eyes. The lights led to a door, but Buffy was uncertain to where the door itself led.

However, she knew that she could not fight her way to the door leading to the stairwell and, as all other options were closed to her, she propelled herself to her feet just before a group of zombies descended upon the computer terminals, and dashed across the room towards the darkened hallway. Slipping into the shadows, she skidded to a halt in front of the door. When she gripped latch, however, the door remained shut. "Shit!" She muttered, pounding her fist angrily on the door. The zombies rapidly were advancing on her. Moving over to the number pad next to the door, she quickly punched in the code that she had used to first gain entry to the Initiative. That code, however, did not work. Slamming her first on the door again, she wracked her brain to try to remember another code. However, nothing came into her mind.

Turning, she inhaled deeply, fear striking her heart at the sight of the zombies crowding into the hallway. They hovered several yards in front of her. She could see their yellow eyes glimmering in the darkness. The blue lights discolored their already pale skin, reminding Buffy that she was, in fact, staring at a group of dead people. Shuddering, she raised her gun and prepared to fire. The zombie closest to her stepped forward. She clicked the hammer back on the gun. It stepped again and she tightened her finger around the trigger. Just as she was about to pull the trigger, a metal clanking sound arose from behind her. Wheeling around, she leveled the gun as the door slid open, pointing it at a scared and tired face poking out at her from behind the metal.

"Get in here!" The woman standing on the other side of the door yelled at her. Staring confusedly at her for a moment, Buffy dashed through the door. As she past through the doorway, the woman slid the door shut, just as the zombies began to charge forward.

"Who're you?" Buffy asked, turning to face her.

"You're alive?" The woman asked.

"Yes," Buffy nodded.

"What happened to your arm?" The woman questioned, her face suddenly paling when she saw the bandage on the blonde Slayer's arm.

Buffy sighed. "I was bitten," she answered.

"Shit," the woman muttered. "I shouldn't have let you in here."

"I'm glad that you did," Buffy offered. "Look, I know that I'm infected. But I came down here for a reason."

"What do you mean you came down here?" The woman asked.

"I got bitten above the surface. I came down here because I heard there was a cure," Buffy explained.

"We've been down here the whole time," the woman said. "I'm Kate."

"I'm Buffy," Buffy said, extending her hand. Kate smiled softly and shook it.

"Interesting name," she commented with a wry smile.

"My parents had a sense of humor," Buffy returned. "So who are the we?"

"It's two of us," Kate explained, motioning for Buffy to follow her. "We've been holed up down here since it happened."

"How did you survive?" Buffy asked.

"This is Section D," Kate explained. "Section D doesn't lead anywhere. It's a dead end. I was the only one working this section the night of the attack. There was one guard posted at the door. When he saw what was happening, instead of trying to run like everyone else, he came in here and reprogrammed the code to open the door so that nothing else could get in."

"That's why the code didn't work," Buffy commented.

"Yes," Kate responded. "Anyway, we've been able to survive down here because food and water was stored in Section D."

"What for?" Buffy asked. They rounded a bend and Kate smiled, motioning down the hallway opening itself in front of them.

"For the hostiles," Kate answered. Buffy sucked in a breath. Lining the hall were cells in which paced all manner of demons and vampires.

"You're keeping them alive?" Buffy asked in disbelief.

"We couldn't just let them starve to death," Kate shrugged. "We had to cut back on their rations so that there would be enough to last all of us for a while. We couldn't save all of the hostiles, though. There are other sections. I don't know what happened to them. I can't tell you how hard it was the first day. People banging on the door. Trying to get in. It was hard not to open that door. But all of those people were infected."

"Just like me," Buffy said softly.

"You can't stay here," Kate said apologetically.

"I don't intend to," Buffy smiled. "I'm finding that cure and I'm getting out of here."

"What makes you think that you can?" Kate asked inquisitively.

"I know I can," Buffy shrugged. "I can't tell you why. I just do."

"We can give you food and water to help you," Kate said. "Hey, Paul!" She called.

"Yeah?" A man asked appearing from one of the cells. "Who is that?"

"This is Buffy. She was banging on the door," Kate explained.

"She's infected," Paul noted, nodding towards her arm.

"I know," Kate nodded.

"How'd you get up here?" Paul asked. "Were you on one of the lower levels?"

"No," Buffy shook her head. "I was outside."

"Outside?" Paul asked.

"I don't really have time to explain. I need to keep moving," Buffy said. "Though I'm not sure how I'm going to get to where I need to go."

"Where are you going?" Kate asked.

"Sublevel three," Buffy replied. "I was told that the cure might be there."

"Cure?" Paul asked.

"She thinks that there's a cure to whatever caused the zombies," Kate answered.

"You don't know?" Buffy asked.

Kate shrugged. "I just worked with the hostiles."

"I was just a guard," Paul added.

"Well, well," Buffy heard a voice say to her left. "If it isn't Buffy."

Buffy turned her head and looked over into the cell to her left, where she saw a bleach blonde vampire leaning against the wall with a smirk gracing his face. "Spike," she chuckled. "Figures you would survive all of this."

"Bloody well isn't easy getting rid of me," Spike grinned. "I'm rather surprise to see you down here though."

"Trust me, I don't want to be down here," Buffy muttered.

"You're trying to find a cure, huh?" Spike asked. "That'll be hard."

"What does he mean?" Kate asked.

"Zombies were blocking the stairwell," Buffy explained.

"And with your being infected and all that," Spike added, "it'll be difficult for you to fight your way through. You're weak."

"I realize that, Spike," Buffy growled angrily.

Spike threw up his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm not trying to piss you off, Slayer," he chuckled. "I'm just painting a picture for you."

"Why are you doing that?" Buffy asked.

"Because I have a solution," Spike offered.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"I can help you," Spike stated.

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "_You_ can help _me_?"

"I'm not afraid of those things," Spike said offhandedly. "I'm a vampire. I'm already dead. I don't know for certain, but I'm bloody positive that I can't become a zombie on top of it. Don't exactly have circulation to move a virus through my blood."

"Why would you want to help me?" Buffy asked.

"Because I don't particularly relish being stuck down here in this cell. Seeing as to how I'm not getting out any other way, I'm willing to help you out if you'll help me," Spike explained.

Buffy looked over at Kate. "Are you okay with this?" She asked.

Kate sighed. "He's chipped so he can't hurt anyone. I don't see a problem with it," she answered. "And he's right. If you want to get to that stairwell, you can't do it by yourself."

"What about the two of you?" Buffy asked, nodding towards Kate and Paul.

"I think we're gonna stay here," Paul answered with a confirmatory nod from Kate.

"How do I know that you're not going to betray me once we get out there?" Buffy asked, glancing back at the bleach blonde vampire.

"You don't," Spike shrugged. "I guess you're going to have to trust me."

"Try again," Buffy said dryly.

"I can't get out of here by myself," Spike sighed. "I don't know any of the pass codes for the doors."

Buffy thought for a moment and nodded. "That's good enough."

"We can give you some food if you need it," Kate offered.

"Do you have any blood packets?" Buffy asked. "I have enough food, but for me. Not for Spike."

"Plenty," Kate nodded. "The emergency generator kicked in when he lost power. We lost some of the blood, but some of the refrigerators kept running."

"I'll get them," Paul offered and disappeared into another room. He came back out several minutes later with a bundle of blood packets in his hands. Buffy accepted them and stowed them in her pack. Moving over to the cell in which Spike was being held, Kate punched in a code and the door slid open. Spike stared at the opening warily for a moment before striding forward. He paused at the threshold, anticipating a shock when he stepped over the barrier. However, when he moved forward, nothing happened to him and he smiled.

"You ready?" Buffy asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Spike shrugged. "Are _you_ ready?"

"Every minute that passes is another minute that I'm closer to becoming one of those things," Buffy shuddered. "So yeah, I'm ready."

"Good luck you guys," Kate offered. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Yeah," Paul agreed.

"If we do," Buffy said, looking back at them, "we'll come back for you."

"We'll see you then, I guess," Kate said uncertainly, watching as Spike and Buffy moved back to the door.

Buffy paused before she punched in the new code to open it again. She could not hear the zombies outside of the door. "I hope they've moved on," she muttered.

"And if not?" Spike asked.

"We'll fight our way through."

…………………..

Sweat poured down her face as she gripped the rope between her hands and carefully lowered herself into darkness. She could hear Diego moving above her. Mark and Jay were climbing down behind her. They had pried open the elevator doors in the frat house and had begun rappelling down the elevator shaft that led to the main floor of the Initiative. Breathing heavily, she focused all of her energy and concentration on climbing. Her muscles strained in her arms, begging for a reprieve from the constant work to which they had been subjected. "Bottom!" She heard Jay call up from somewhere beneath her. She heard the metallic shuffling of Jay fiddling with his gun. A beam of light welled up through the darkness and his voice rang out again. "Clear."

Faith sighed with relief. She wanted nothing more than to reach the floor and steady herself on solid ground again. She found it completely unnerving to be lowering herself into darkness without any indication of what waited for her at the bottom. She heard Mark's feet hit the floor. "Glad that's over," the soldier muttered. Faith reminded herself that she only had a short distance to climb before she would join her group on the ground.

"How're you doing Diego?" She asked, her voice echoing up through the elevator shaft.

"I'll be much better once I hit the ground," Diego ground out between clenched teeth. Faith smiled. Apparently, Diego had some issues with height. He almost stopped and turned around once he had a chance to glance down the elevator shaft and into the complete blackness that awaited them.

"Me too," Faith replied softly. Finally, her feet hit the ground and she sighed with relief.

"Faith," Jay said, smiling and nodding over to her.

"Well, that's over with," Faith murmured. Diego joined them several minutes later. Faith repressed a chuckle when she saw his face. The man looked paler than death. Wiping sweat from his brow, he shook his head.

"Sometimes I wonder why I took this job," he stated.

"To help the world?" Mark smirked.

"Be all you can be?" Jay joked.

"Maybe you're just a little slow," Faith added.

"Thanks, guys," Diego rolled his eyes. "I feel better already."

"Let's get this show on the road," Mark said as the group collectively turned to face the closed elevator doors in front of them.

"What're we going to see when we open those doors?" Diego asked.

"I don't know," Jay shrugged.

"But it probably won't be good," Faith noted.

"Are we ready for this?" Mark asked.

Faith smiled and nodded. Diego shifted and nodded slightly, his eyes set and determined. Jay simply raised his gun. Mark nodded and moved over to the doors. "Opening on three."


	8. On the Count of Three

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry these updates are taking longer than usual, but I've been on these antibiotics that are really taking a toll on me. Next week I'll be out of town, so I won't be able to update then, but when I get back I'll try to start posting more.

Previously:

"If we do," Buffy said, looking back at them, "we'll come back for you."

"We'll see you then, I guess," Kate said uncertainly, watching as Spike and Buffy moved back to the door.

Buffy paused before she punched in the new code to open it again. She could not hear the zombies outside of the door. "I hope they've moved on," she muttered.

"And if not?" Spike asked.

"We'll fight our way through."

Chapter Seven: On the Count of Three:

The door slid open silently. At first, Buffy could not see anything in the darkness, but then she became aware of starved eyes staring at her in the long, deep shadows. Hundreds of pairs of eyes met hers, yellowed and decaying within the heads of the zombies that were waiting for them once the door to Sector D opened. Buffy felt her stomach drop with a disappointment so fierce that she almost dropped her gun, willing, in that moment, to die. The zombies were rushing forward before she could react. A sudden thought struck her that left her numb – the zombies purposefully had been silent. Whether they had realized that by staying quiet they would trick their prey into believing that they had left, or that they had allowed some predatory instinct to guide them, Buffy did not know. All that mattered was that they had been waiting for her to return and she had not known it.

"Bloody hell!" She heard Spike yell as a zombie grabbed his forearm, raking his skin open with its broken, tangled fingernails. "Get back!" He yelled again. Buffy did not move, however. She was pinned to the floor, rooted in her despair, and completely exhausted from trying to survive when she should have surrendered to defeat. "Damn it, Slayer," Spike growled as he grabbed her by the shoulders and forcibly threw her back into the room. Kate rushed forward and caught her to prevent her from falling onto the tile floor. Buffy shook her head, glanced up at the smiling woman, and frowned confusedly. Once she had snapped out of her daze, she looked back at Spike, her face paling at the sight of the zombies crowding the door.

"A little help would be nice!" Spike snarled as he punched the zombie that had scratched his arm. It stumbled backwards, falling into the wave of the dead pushing forward. Slipping onto the ground, it disappeared under trampling feet. Spike heard the sickening crunch of its skin splitting and its bones breaking as the other zombies crushed their fallen member. Paul moved past Buffy and Kate with his gun raised. A burst of gunfire lit up the darkened hallway and Buffy could see the contorted and violent faces of the zombies clearly for a moment before the light extinguished.

Spike gripped the door and slammed it shut as the zombies nearest fell in a burst of red mist. Panting, he turned with his back pressed against the door, and smiled crookedly. "I think we're going to have to find another way out," he commented.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked, looking at Buffy warily, but concernedly.

"I'm okay," Buffy nodded, moving over to the wall, where she slid to the floor. Resting her arms on her knees, she closed her eyes. She felt dizzy again. Her world was spinning out of synch with everything else happening around her. She could feel the infection moving through her body. She knew that the only thing keeping her alive was the fact that, somewhere inside of her, still resided the Slayer. The mystical energies that created her very being were fighting to prevent the zombie infection from polluting them. But Buffy knew that she would lose the battle eventually.

"You're starting to feel it, aren't you?" Kate asked, kneeling down beside her and touching her arm lightly.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded. "I don't know how much longer I have."

Spike looked down at the broken Slayer and sighed heavily. "So you're just giving up, is that it?" He demanded.

"What else can I do?" Buffy shot back. "We can't get out of here."

"Yes, we can," Spike stated. "We just have to think creatively."

"Think creatively?" Buffy scoffed. "I can't think anymore, Spike. It just hurts."

"Bloody well have to do everything myself," Spike muttered angrily as he glanced around the room. "Is there any other way out of here?" He asked Paul, but the soldier shook his head.

"That's the only door," Paul answered.

"I wasn't talking about doors," Spike countered. "_Any_ other way out of here would be nice."

"This corridor is sealed off from everything else," Paul replied. "I'm sorry, pal, but you guys are stuck in here."

"No, they're not," Kate suddenly spoke up.

"What're you thinking, love?" Spike asked, turning to her direction.

She blushed slightly at his moniker for her and continued, "The vents. You could use the vents."

Spike smiled widely. "See, Slayer. Just have to think creatively. Now, are you ready to go or do you want to sit there and sulk a little more?"

"Shut up, Spike," Buffy muttered, shaking her head angrily as she pulled herself to her feet.

"Look, if I'm going to leave the relative safety of this cozy, little place, I want to know that I'm doing it with someone who's into the plan one hundred percent," Spike argued. "If you're gonna launch a one woman pity party, you might as well leave me here. I want to get out of here, but not that much."

"Spike," Buffy said warningly.

"Okay, okay," Spike laughed, throwing up his hands defensively, "I'm stop talking now."

"Good," Buffy rolled her eyes. Following as Kate led them to the nearest vent, she tucked her gun into the waistband of her jeans, realizing that she was mildly thankful for Spike's insulting prompting, though she was uncertain that she could handle the vampire's glib attitude for much longer. "You're lucky I don't have any stakes," she muttered back in his direction.

"Maybe," Spike shrugged, "but I don't relish the prospect of getting shot either."

"Fair enough," Buffy replied. Kate pointed to the vent above their heads.

"You'll have to climb up there," she said. "But the entire compound is connected through these vents."

"Seeing as to how we can't get out of that door," Spike commented as he looked up at the vent, "I think this is our only way out."

"Spike," Buffy began, glancing over at his hesitantly.

"Oh hell, I'll do it," he grumbled. Climbing atop of a plastic chair, he reached up and yanked the vent cover off of the wall. "Do you need a hand too?" He smirked.

"No," Buffy said defensively, "I can do it."

"I'm sure you can," Spike laughed as he hauled himself up into the hole and started to crawl forward.

Buffy flashed a thankful smile over at Kate, who returned it. "We'll be seeing you soon," she promised as she climbed atop the chair and through the vent. The ventilation shaft was narrow. At times, she wondered if Spike would be able to continue pressing forward. It was constructed entirely of a shiny, polished metal that Buffy could not identify. The sounds of her shoes hitting the metal, however, echoed dishearteningly through the shaft. If anyone was listening, he, she, or it would know exactly where she and Spike were located.

"How're you doing, Slayer?" Spike asked, stopping and glancing back at her. Sweat dotted his brow and his smiled half heartedly.

"Just keep going," Buffy panted. The cramped quarters did not leave much room for cool air and Buffy found herself becoming overheated quickly. The air had died along with the power. The vents were lying disused and quiet. "How do we know if we're going down?" She asked after several long moments of silence.

Spike grunted and stopped again. "I don't rightly know," he answered. "But the way I see it, we don't actually have to go far in these. We just need to get out of the way of the zombies," he explained. "Are you starting to feel claustrophobic, or is it just me?" Spike added.

"Not just you," Buffy shuddered, imaging the walls closing in around her and crushing her to death.

"So, how's Angel?" Spike asked conversationally as they crawled.

"What?" Buffy asked in surprise.

"Angel. Loverboy. How is he?" Spike asked again.

"You know he left for Los Angeles," Buffy stated.

"Well, yes, but the last time I saw him, he was with you," Spike pointed out.

"That's over," Buffy replied. "I've moved on."

"Have you now?" Spike smirked.

"Yes, I have," Buffy said indignantly.

"With who?" Spike asked, his curiosity overcoming him.

"I'm not so sure that I want to tell you," Buffy grumbled.

"Why's that?" Spike laughed.

"You're going to make fun of me," Buffy answered. "Why am I even talking about this with you?"

"Oh, come on," Spike said. "We're crawling through a ventilation shaft to escape the killer zombies that have taken over the Initiative. What else is there to talk about?" Spike returned sarcastically.

"Good point. Fine, I'm with Faith," Buffy stated.

"Faith?" Spike replied, trying to repress the laughter that was threatening to escape from him. "Didn't you put her in a coma?"

"That's not the point," Buffy muttered.

"I'm just saying, that's usually a relationship killer," Spike said. "Hold up a minute," he added. They had come to an intersection. "Which way should we go?" He asked.

"Can you see a way out of here?" Buffy asked, craning her neck to look around him, but the vampire blocked her view.

"Yeah," Spike answered, crawling to the left. He stopped after several feet and Buffy crawled forward. "I can see a stairwell."

"Really?" Buffy asked excitedly. "Are there any zombies?"

Spike glanced through the vent cover, squinting his eyes in concentration. "No," he said after a few moments. "I can't see anything moving. This our last stop?" He asked, trying to look back at her, but giving up when he realized that he could not turn himself around in the narrow space.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded. "The stairwell is what we want. We need to get down to Sublevel Three."

"I hope your information is accurate," Spike commented as he punched off the metal cover. Crawling forward, he tumbled out of the hole, but managed to land on his feet. "Smooth," he muttered to himself. Buffy followed after him, but was less successful in her landing.

"Ow," she muttered, looking up at him from the floor.

He smirked down at her and extended his hand. "Need some help, Slayer?" He asked.

"No," Buffy shot back, ignoring his hand as she pulled herself up to her feet.

"Sublevel Three?" Spike asked as they began descending the stairs.

Buffy nodded. "And with any luck, we'll find the anti-virus."

…………………………..

"One," Mark said as he began prying open the elevator doors. Diego shifted restlessly and fingered the trigger of his gun. Faith glanced between him and Jay, wondering how her boys would hold up under the pressure of the zombies. She knew that Diego had agreed to come on the mission from some deep rooted sense of duty to help mankind. However, she also knew that he was terrified of what lay behind the doors that Mark was opening.

"Two," Mark continued. The doors shifted open several inches. Faith tried to catch a glimpse of the other side, but she could not see anything but dim blue lighting. Jay inhaled deeply, blowing his breath back out through his mouth. Though she had not known Jay for very long, she had grown to care for him like a brother. The thought that she might lose him in the depths of the Initiative, while searching for an anti-virus that might not actually exist, pained her more than she cared to admit. She had already lost one person that she loved deeply when Buffy had been ripped away from her and she could not fathom losing another person so quickly. Perhaps that was why she had agreed to come on the mission, even though reentering Sunnydale had been the last thing on her mind once they had escaped. She wanted to protect Jay. She knew that the odds were stacked against them, but she thought that if she was there with him, she could save him, even though she could not save Buffy.

"Three," Mark announced, pushing all of his muscle power into opening the doors. The elevator doors slid open seamlessly and the group moved forward stealthily. Jay stepped out first. Faith followed behind with Diego behind her. Mark brought up the rear. Faith realized instantly that they were on a staircase. Exhaling deeply, Faith shook her head when she saw the main floor of the Initiative – it was crawling with zombies.

"Good Lord," Diego muttered.

"The door is over there," Mark said, nodding towards the door leading to the stairwell, where Buffy and Spike had descended only a short time before.

"We have to make a run for it," Jay decided.

"There are too many zombies. We can't kill them all," Faith thought aloud, "but we can distract them."

"Let's go guys," Jay said, raising his gun. The group moved forward, creeping down the stairs. The zombies seemed distracted, however. Faith thought that she could smell gunpowder on the air, but shook the thought away as impossible. They reached the bottom of the staircase and paused.

"Anyone else think that would be harder?" Diego asked confusedly.

"Really, yeah," Faith nodded.

"Keep moving," Mark instructed, taking the lead. As the group pressed forward, the zombies around them began to notice their presence. "Fire when they start coming at us," Mark stated.

They cautiously moved around the wall, inching closer and closer to the stairwell door. A burst of gunfire sounded behind her and Faith jumped, turning to see Diego firing upon a zombie that had crept up next to her without her knowing. Faith looked down at it in surprise and smiled gratefully back at him. "Thanks," she said. "I didn't even see it."

"It's okay," Diego shrugged. "I got your back."

"Guys?" Jay said, capturing their attention. "Time to rock and roll."

Faith turned and saw a line of zombies blocking them from reaching the door. Fingering the trigger of her gun, she smiled wickedly and asked, "Anyone up for killing some zombies?"


	9. Footsteps

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews and your patience. I'm back in town now, so here's an update.

Previously:

"Smooth," Spike muttered to himself. Buffy followed after him, but was less successful in her landing.

"Ow," she muttered, looking up at him from the floor.

He smirked down at her and extended his hand. "Need some help, Slayer?" He asked.

"No," Buffy shot back, ignoring his hand as she pulled herself up to her feet.

"Sublevel Three?" Spike asked as they began descending the stairs.

Buffy nodded. "And with any luck, we'll find the anti-virus."

Chapter Eight: Footsteps:

The room disappeared in a haze of smoke as Faith and the soldiers opened fire on the zombies blocking the door to the stairwell. The gun shook in her hands as she pressed her finger back on the trigger. Though she knew that the gun was the best way to kill zombies, she preferred a stake to any other weapon. The splintery feel of the wood in her hand was like home; however, the gun felt cold and empty. Faith's eyes stung and her mouth filled with the bitter taste of gunpowder. The moaning of the zombies faded into the popping of bullets shooting out of the barrel of her gun and into the room. Releasing her finger from the trigger, she glanced around the room. A path had opened before them to the door.

"Come on!" Mark yelled, leading the group forward. Faith followed behind Jay with Diego following behind her. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest. The zombies had started closing in around them again. But the path to the door remained unobstructed. Mark reached it first. Punching a code into the number pad next to the door, he waited impatiently, bouncing back and forth on the heels of his feet until the door slid open silently.

"Look's like we're in," Jay said, grinning widely.

Faith forced a smile back at him, though she found herself regretting the trip down into the Initiative more and more. She could sense that Diego felt the same. They poured through the door. Mark punched the code into the opposite number pad just as Diego slipped through. The metal doors slid closed, blocking the zombies from chasing after them. Faith closed her eyes, willing her pounding heart to calm. "What's this?" She heard Diego ask.

Opening her eyes, she looked down at the floor, where Diego was pointing at a metal grate. Her eyes followed the wall up to an opened vent. "Zombies?" She asked warily.

"Moving through the vents?" Mark shook his head. "I hope not. That wouldn't bode well for us."

"Would they even think to travel through the vents?" Jay questioned.

"Do they even think?" Diego furthered.

"Sometimes I wonder," Faith muttered. As she looked down at the grate lying on the floor, a strange feeling overcame her.

"There could be survivors down here," Mark theorized.

"That's true," Jay nodded. "Traveling through the ventilation system would be easier than trying to dodge all of those zombies."

"We don't even know how many there are on the other floors," Diego added. "This entire place could be swamped with them."

"Positive thinking," Faith reminded him. "Talking about the possibly overwhelming number of zombies facing us isn't helping me with that."

"I agree," Jay smirked.

"Do you hear that?" Faith asked suddenly, her Slayer hearing picking up the sound of boots striking the stairs.

"Hear what?" Mark asked warily.

"Sounds like footsteps," Faith muttered confusedly.

"Coming up or going down?" Diego asked, lifting his gun and glancing down the stairs.

"Going down," Faith answered, her brows furrowing as she wondered why zombies would be moving away from them.

"That doesn't make sense," Mark said.

"Unless they're not zombies," Diego reasoned. "Could be those survivors we were just talking about."

"Let's get moving," Mark commanded. "We'll catch up with them either way."

Faith followed from the rear as the three soldiers walked ahead of her. Her gun hung limply in her hands and she felt her eyelids starting to flutter closed. She was exhausted from the stress of trying to reenter the Initiative. Though she had Slayer strength and stamina, the whirlwind of emotions that had been running through her mind and body since the death of Buffy was starting to take its toll on her. She had felt numb at first, unable to comprehend the fact that her lover had been so cruelly ripped away from her. Gradually, other emotions had started to surface. She was angry with the Powers that Be for allowing Buffy to be taken from her and for allowing such a warrior to fall. She also was angry with herself for failing to protect the one person in the world about whom she cared.

She listened carefully to the footsteps that she could hear echoing up the stairs. She wondered if they were following the footsteps of other people who were trying to survive within the Initiative, or if they were following the lumbering walk of zombies searching for fresh meat. Though her group was moving quickly, the footsteps ahead of them remained out of reach and Faith wondered how far ahead those people were. The stairwell was dimly lit with blue emergency lighting. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the lack of light, but she wondered how the others were adjusting. Though they carried flashlights, they did not use them in the stairwell for fear that the light reflecting off of the walls would attract trouble.

She wondered what Giles, Willow, and Tara were doing at that moment. She imagined that they had left the barracks and had traveled to Los Angeles with Angel. The idea of assisting Angel in his quest to help the helpless sounded appealing to her, but she knew that she had to finish her life in Sunnydale before she could move on. A part of her would always linger in its streets with the ghost of her lover. Once she had recovered the anti-virus and ensured that the zombies could not spread anywhere else, she would join the remainder of her friends in Los Angeles. She smiled at the thought of considering Willow, Tara, and Giles friends, though she could not picture herself being happy again without Buffy. However, she knew that she had responsibilities as a Slayer. She had to continue, if not for herself, for those people that she was destined to protect.

"What do we know about Sublevel Three?" Faith asked to divert the group's attention from the constant moaning of the zombies. The sound was enough to drive anyone insane. Faith could feel it crawling underneath of her skin and she shivered in disgust.

"Only what some of the surviving scientists deemed to tell us," Diego answered, shaking his head angrily. "You know, they bring all of this on the world and then they act as if they're not responsible for what happened. They created these things. But they wouldn't tell us anything without sufficient…well, questioning," he finished lamely.

"Something tells me this interrogation wasn't so peaceable," Faith smirked.

"Not really," Mark grinned.

"Sublevel Three was where the scientists worked on experimental projects approved by the military," Diego continued. "Everything down there was confidential. Scientists working in neighboring labs had no idea what their fellow scientists were doing. They only knew about their projects. Fortunately, we managed to capture some of the people working on the Animatus virus."

"Apparently, a lot of scientists were involved in the project. It was incredibly important for the government," Mark added. "High priority stuff."

"The labs, where the virus was created, are located in Corridor H. It's quite a maze down there," Diego said. "It might take us a while to find it once we get there. Some of the passages might be blocked."

Faith nodded. Silence fell between them again and she noticed that she could no longer hear the footsteps that had been echoing up towards them. The fear that zombies might be waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs clutched at her heart, but she shook it away. She had to focus on placing one foot in front of the next. Otherwise, she knew that her heart would cave under the fear of the unknown lurking before her. They almost had reached the bottom of the stairs. Soon, they would enter Sublevel Three. Though a maze of corridors awaited them, Faith was confident that they would find the anti-virus. She only hoped that they would all make it back out of the Initiative alive.

…………………………

"Sublevel One," Spike announced as they past another sealed door guarded by a number pad. "Almost there, Slayer."

"Thanks for the narration, Spike," Buffy grumbled.

"I'm just trying to keep things interesting," Spike said defensively. "It's too damn quiet down here. All I can hear is those zombies. It creeps me out," he shuddered.

"Big, bad Spike is afraid?" Buffy asked jokingly.

"Oh, like you're not," Spike scoffed.

"Maybe a little," Buffy admitted. "Do you hear that?" She asked suddenly. She stopped walking, holding her hand out to prevent Spike from continuing past her. He smirked, knowing that her hand would not stop him if he desired to continue, especially in her deteriorating condition, but he stopped as well. He could sense that the Slayer was rapidly succumbing to the zombie virus. He wondered if she would last until Sublevel Three. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead and she gulped down air as if she could not suck in enough to fill her lungs. Her skin looked paler than a vampire's and her hands were trembling slightly.

"You feelin' okay, Slayer?" He asked.

"I asked you a question," Buffy said sharply, shooting him a harsh glare.

"What am I supposed to be listening for?" Spike rolled his eyes.

"Footsteps," Buffy said. "I thought that I could hear footsteps echoing down from above us."

Spike sighed and listened. At first, all he could hear was the moaning of the zombies wafting through the ventilation system. However, after a few moments, he became aware of an echoing pounding noise reminiscent of booted feet. "Sounds like four people," he stated. "Or zombies."

"You think they're following us?" Buffy asked.

"Could be," Spike said.

"We need to keep moving," Buffy replied as she continued down the stairs. Though she would never admit it to Spike, she was not sure how much farther she could go. Her legs shook as she descended the stairs. She always had known that she would die some horrible death because of her calling as the Slayer. But she had not envisioned a fate as horrible as the one that lay before her.

"You don't look so good," Spike stated, casting a sideways glance over at her.

"I'm fine," Buffy brushed him off.

"I'm sure you are," he smirked. "Slayers can be so stubborn," he added under his breath, knowing that Buffy could hear him.

They past the door to Sublevel Two and continued down the stairs, ever aware of the footsteps following after them. Though Buffy knew that there were survivors in the Initiative, she was convinced that the footsteps trailing them belonged to something else entirely. "How big is Sublevel Three?" Spike wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Buffy answered.

"It could take us a while to find what we're looking for," Spike continued.

"What're you trying to say?" Buffy asked, casting a wary look in his direction.

He grinned widely. "Maybe we should split up once we get down there."

"No way," Buffy shook her head.

"What?" Spike asked. "I won't betray you," he claimed. "You'll just have to trust me."

She nearly stopped at his words, remembering a moment not long ago when Faith had spoken the same to her. Faith and Anya had come to the dorm where she, Willow, Tara, and Riley had been holed up, waiting for death. Though Buffy had not believed Faith's claim that she could rescue them, Faith had simply smiled and said, _"I guess you'll just have to trust me."_

"What?" Spike asked, noting the faraway look on her face. "Did I say something?"

"No," Buffy shook away the memory. She had been angry when she had first seen Faith walk through the door. But she quickly had noticed how frightened Faith had seemed. Her anger had faded into something else – a wary acceptance. "We're not splitting up."

"Don't trust me?" Spike laughed. "That's alright. But I still maintain that we'd cover more ground."

"Be that as it may," Buffy commented, "we're sticking together. It's safer for both of us."

"You're already infected and I'm a vampire. I think we're pretty safe," Spike smirked.

"That doesn't mean they won't try to eat us," Buffy noted.

Spike frowned. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Might want to start," Buffy suggested. "I don't imagine it would be fun."

"Here we are," Spike announced as the door to the third Sublevel of the Initiative loomed before them. Buffy smiled, but her smile quickly faded. The world started to spin around her and she found herself crashing to the ground. Her knees slammed into the floor and she grimaced in pain. "Hey," Spike said, rushing over to her. "You alright?" He asked. Before she could answer, the raw taste of bile crept up her throat. Turning away from the vampire, she closed her eyes as a stream of blood issued from her mouth. Her shoulders trembled from the exertion and, when she had finished, she leaned back against the wall exhaustedly. Spike looked down at her pale, drawn face. "You're not going to make it, are you?" He asked.

Buffy smiled sadly and shook her head. "I don't think so," she answered candidly.

"Bullocks," Spike muttered. Glancing back up the stairs, he contemplated leaving the blonde Slayer there to die. He started to move away, but stopped. Something nagged at the back of his mind and he realized that he could not leave Buffy to such a fate. Looking down at her, he saw her for what she really was – a scared girl with nothing left. "Bloody hell," he cursed. "Did they give me a sodding soul with this chip?" He wondered as he bent down and scooped the Slayer up in his arms.

"What're you doing?" Buffy asked, weakly attempting to push him away, while Spike tightened his grip.

"I said that I'd help you," Spike replied, "and I'm going to. I don't care if I have to carry you the rest of the way through this bloody compound. Now let's find the cure."


	10. Rekindling Hope

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

"Did they give me a sodding soul with this chip?" He wondered as he bent down and scooped the Slayer up in his arms.

"What're you doing?" Buffy asked, weakly attempting to push him away, while Spike tightened his grip.

"I said that I'd help you," Spike replied, "and I'm going to. I don't care if I have to carry you the rest of the way through this bloody compound. Now let's find the cure."

Chapter Nine: Rekindling Hope:

"What's the code?" Spike asked as he shifted Buffy in his arms to free one of his hands. He was standing in front of the number pad outside of the door leading to Sublevel Three. Buffy lifted her head and whispered a series of numbers into his ear. He knew without looking down at her that she was fading fast. If she did not receive the cure to the virus ravaging her body soon, she would succumb to it. Typing the numbers into the keypad, he grinned when the door slid open silently. "Ah, modern technology," he muttered.

He stepped across the threshold of the door and sighed. Directly in front of him waited a guard's station. Blood was smeared over the front of the desk and a dead radio lay on the floor in front of his feet. The door slid closed behind him after a few seconds and, turning back, he saw bloody hand prints desperately smudged on the metal. He could imagine some panic stricken Initiative employee banging on the door, screaming at the top of his lungs for someone to help him, as zombies descended upon him and ripped apart his flesh. Shuddering, Spike moved forward. Though he was a vampire, and friend to most demons, he did not enjoy the company of zombies. Demons were able to think and reason. They decided upon a course of action through logical choices. Zombies, however, had no rational capability of which Spike was aware. While he could talk his way out of a confrontation with a fellow demon, he could not charm his way out of a confrontation with a zombie. He did not relish the prospect of being eaten alive by nothing more than an animated corpse.

Spike moved around the guard desk and glanced down at it briefly. The computer monitor stared blankly back at him. Blood lingered on the keyboard. Looking away, he halted briefly. "Which way do we go?" He asked to no one in particular.

"I don't know," Buffy mumbled, burying her face in his chest. Her eyes were squeezed shut and Spike could see sweat glistening on her forehead. She was fighting with all of her strength, but he knew that she was losing.

"Alright," Spike reasoned. Looking to the left, he saw a hallway labeled Corridor A. Looking to the right, he saw a hallway labeled Corridor B. "If I was an anti-virus where would I be?" Moving to the right, he started down Corridor B. The hallway was lit with the same blue emergency lighting illuminating the entirety of the Initiative complex. Though Spike could not hear the moaning that had been prevalent in the stairwell and the main floor of the compound, he did not trust the silence. It crept up the walls, hanging in the air and stifling him as he walked down the hallway. The sound of his boots thumping on the floor echoed on the walls and rang in his ears. He felt completely vulnerable, as though every zombie in the Initiative could hear him. He almost wished to hear something scratching its way down the corridor while groaning hungrily for flesh.

Buffy shifted in his arms and he tightened his grip on her. Her skin burned like a furnace. The hallway seemed to stretch on before him forever, but finally, he saw a directory hanging on the wall. "Labs in Corridors G and H," he said softly. "Hostile and specimen storage in Corridors B, C, and D. Guard supplies in Corridor A. Supplies in Corridor E and F. Hostile storage," he scoffed. "I was a bloody hostile. Looks like we want G and H."

Following the arrow, he continued down another hallway. Eventually, he spotted another guard's desk standing sentinel to the entrance to Corridor D. "Bloody maze," he muttered as he approached. He had traveled down Corridor B only to find Corridor D. He wondered where Corridor C was located. "I'll be lucky if I ever find this damn thing." A rotten smell reached him and, moving around the desk, he grimaced at what he saw. A body lay on the floor underneath the piece of furniture. A pool of cold, stagnant blood surrounded the head of the body of a man. A gun lay a few inches away from his hand. "Shot yourself, did ya?" Spike murmured. "Not that I blame you, mate. I would have done the same if I was you." The man's face was obliterated. The image of pounded hamburger meat flashed through Spike's mind and he swallowed dryly in disgust. A wedding ring rested on one of the man's fingers. He wondered what had happened to the man's wife. Leaning down, he picked up the gun. Buffy groaned and shifted in his arms uneasily.

"Listen up, Slayer," Spike said, moving around to the front of the desk. "I'm gonna have to do something that you're not going to like. But it's the only way either of us are going to get out of this place alive," he added. "Well," he reconsidered, "it's the only way you're getting out of here alive. Not bloody likely to happen for me," he joked. When Buffy did not react, he sighed heavily.

"What?" Buffy murmured, her head rolling back and resting against the desk. Her eyes fluttered open, but they did not focus on him as Spike kneeled down in front of her. He almost felt bad for her. However, he found it difficult to sympathize with the woman who was supposed to be his arch enemy. He may have had a chip in his brain to prevent him from hurting humans, but he was still a vampire and he knew how to act like one.

"I have to leave you here," he said. He saw panic light up Buffy's eyes, but he smiled. "It's okay," he added. "I'm coming back. I can't get out of here without you, remember?"

"Where…," Buffy started, but lacked the strength to finish her sentence.

"You're slowing me down," Spike explained. "If I'm gonna find this cure and bring it back to you before you start turning on me, I have to move fast. I can't do that trying to carry you. Besides, I can't bloody well fight with you in my arms."

"Don't leave," Buffy pleaded, her eyes drifting shut again. "I need you…Faith," she murmured.

Spike chuckled. "I'm not your girl, Slayer," he stated. Slipping the guard's gun into her hand, he grabbed Buffy's gun out of the waistband of her jeans. "I'm not sure if that works. But I need something that does. If anything happens, at least I'll be able to sleep better at night knowing you have a weapon," he smirked. "Of course, I'd probably sleep just as well knowing that you were dead," he added, smiling when Buffy rolled her eyes at him.

"Hurry," Buffy whispered. "I'm so tired." Her eyes fluttered closed again. Her breathing was shallow and Spike did not imagine she would last much more than another hour.

"Don't go anywhere," Spike joked. Rising to his feet, he cast a last look down at the broken Slayer and started running. Buffy's eyes fluttered open when she heard him leave and she gazed down the hallway where Spike had disappeared. The world was crashing down around her. Her life was lying in the hands of a vampire, whom she had fought bitterly on several previous occasions. She chuckled mirthlessly to herself, wondering if everything was over. She had tried so hard to reach Sublevel Three; yet, once she had found it, she had not even possessed the strength to walk through the door. She always had imagined herself dying heroically. Now, as the echoing of Spike's feet disappeared down the corridor, Buffy realized that there was nothing heroic about dying at all, and she was terrified.

………………………

"You ever been down there before?" Faith asked as the group jogged down the stairs, passing by the door to Sublevel Two.

"To Sublevel Three, you mean?" Jay asked.

"Yeah," Faith answered.

"Twice," Jay stated. "I brought two hostiles down there. I didn't know what for. The guys thought the scientists experimented on them. They were right, I suppose," he added thoughtfully. "We knew that they did experiments with the chips to make sure that they would work on a variety of demons. I didn't know that they did other experiments down here."

"Did anyone else?" Faith asked.

"People talked," Jay said, smiling grimly. "Said some strange things about what went on down here. The guards that were stationed there didn't last long. They usually got transferred within a year. The ones that stuck around said that they could hear screaming in the middle of the night. The scientists would come and go, but they never said a word about what was going on."

"Creepy," Faith shuddered.

"Yeah," Jay agreed. "We ignored all of the rumors because we thought that we were fighting the good fight, you know, neutralizing demons so that they couldn't hurt people. I never would have come here if I knew what they were really doing."

"Makes you wonder what else was going on down here that never got the chance to bust free," Faith commented.

"How are we doing on time, Mark?" Jay asked.

"We've been in Sunnydale for almost twenty-four hours now," Mark answered. "I'd say that we're ahead of schedule."

"We have four more days to find the anti-virus and get the hell out of here," Diego added.

"I don't think getting the anti-virus is going to be the hard part," Faith commented. "I think it's getting out that'll be difficult."

"I agree," Jay nodded.

"Here we are," Diego announced. The group collectively slowed to a halt in front of the door to Sublevel Three. Mark punched a series of numbers into the key pad and the door slid open. Stepping across the threshold, Faith surveyed the room, clutching her gun tightly in her hands. A guard's desk stood before them. Blood adorned the front. The door slid closed behind them and Faith saw that it too was covered in blood. A massacre had occurred in the Initiative and, everywhere she looked, she saw signs of it. Faith wondered if anyone had survived.

"Which way do we go?" Diego asked. Faith noticed that two hallways spread out in opposite directions from them – Corridors A and B.

"Which one leads to Corridor H?" Mark asked, looking back at Jay.

Jay shrugged in frustration. "I don't know," he answered. "This is the farthest I've ever come down here. They took the hostiles from me at this guard desk and I went back upstairs. I never saw anything else."

"We should split up," Mark suggested. "We'll cover more ground."

"I don't know," Faith said uneasily. "Splitting up always ends badly."

"These sublevels are mazes of hallways," Jay explained. "Mark is right. It'll take too long if we stick together."

"We'll meet back at this point in approximately two hours. If we haven't found anything, we'll search together," Mark instructed. "Remember, shoot anything that moves. I don't want any casualties down here."

"Yes, sir," Faith replied jokingly. Mark rolled his eyes.

"Diego, you're with me," he said, ignoring Faith. Diego nodded and moved over to Mark. "We'll search Corridor A and those that connect to it. You guys search Corridor B."

"See you in two hours," Jay said as Diego and Mark started down Corridor A. "You ready?" Jay asked, looking over at Faith.

"Always," Faith replied, following her friend as he started walking.

"I think I'd like to go home for a while when we get out of here," Jay said.

"Why'd you leave?" Faith asked.

"I lived in a small town," Jay answered. "Not much going on. Joined the army to get out and see the world. Now it doesn't seem so bad though."

"All this action and adventure isn't what's it's cracked up to be, huh?" Faith joked.

"Not at all," Jay smiled. "What're you doing when we get out of here?"

"Los Angeles," Faith answered. "I know a guy who lives there. He owns this private detective agency. Fights the good fight by solving cases of supernatural origin," she explained. "Sounds like a good place for me."

"It does," Jay agreed.

They walked on in silence down the dimly lit hallway. Faith was unnerved by the silence, though she was relieved by the lack of moaning and groaning. She hoped that the zombies that had inhabited this level of the Initiative all had moved to higher levels during the initial attack, though she knew that some probably lingered within the maze of hallways searching for fresh meat. The echoing of her boots striking the floor filled her ears. She felt like she was moving in a dream. "Or a nightmare," she mumbled to herself.

"What?" Jay asked, looking over at her curiously.

"Nothing," she smiled.

"I see something ahead," he stated, squinting to attain a better view. "Looks like another guard's desk. I think there's a body in front of it."

Faith looked ahead and saw the desk. A body was propped against it. She sighed and fingered the trigger of her gun anxiously. "Think it's a zombie or some poor bastard that killed himself before a zombie could?"

"I guess we'll find out," Jay answered. As they moved closer, Faith noticed the feet of another body sticking out from underneath the desk. She and Jay cautiously moved around to the front, raising their guns as they inched closer. Finally, the person came into view. Faith stopped suddenly, unable to comprehend what her eyes were seeing. "Is that?" Jay asked, his question trailing off into silence.

Faith tried to open her mouth to respond, but could not. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing in her ears. She felt like she could not breathe. Sitting before her on the floor was Buffy, who she had sworn had shot herself in the head two days earlier after she had been bitten by a zombie. Faith looked down at her girlfriend's arm and noticed a bandage covering the wound. Buffy's eyes were closed, but Faith saw that she was breathing. Kneeling down in front of her lover, Faith hesitantly reached out and brushed a strand of her golden hair behind her ear. "Buffy?" She asked softly. The Slayer's eyes shot open at the sound of Faith's voice. Jay raised his gun, but Faith waved him off. "It's okay," she said to the soldier. "She's not one of them."

"Faith?" Buffy asked confusedly. She had opened her eyes at the sound of her name, expecting to see Spike staring down at her. However, she saw Faith kneeling before her. Love and confusion were shining in the dark Slayer's eyes. "What're you…" she began. "I thought…"

"I thought you shot yourself," Faith stated, her voice cracking with tears.

"No," Buffy replied, smiling slightly. "I couldn't."

"What're you doing down here?" Jay asked.

"I was looking for the cure," Buffy answered with noticeable effort.

"You knew about it?" Faith asked in surprise.

"Riley told me some things," Buffy said. "Rumors."

"Did you find it?" Jay asked.

"I can't," Buffy shook her head. "I'm too weak. Spike is looking for it."

"Spike?" Faith asked in confusion.

"He had been captured by the Initiative. He agreed to help me if I'd help him escape," Buffy explained.

"Shit," Faith muttered. "If Diego and Mark find him, they'll kill him."

"Not if I find him first," Jay said determinedly.

"Where're you going?" Faith asked, rising to her feet when Jay started moving away.

"I'm going to find Spike and the anti-virus," Jay answered. "You're staying here. You can't leave Buffy alone like this and I have to find Spike before the others do."

"You can't go out there by yourself," Faith reasoned.

"I'll be alright," Jay smiled. "Stay here. She needs you more." Before Faith could protest any further, he continued down the hall. Faith looked back down at Buffy, torn between staying with her dying lover and following the man who had become like a brother to her.

"Who am I kidding?" She muttered as she dropped her gun to the floor and sat down beside Buffy. "Come here, B," she said as the older girl slid slowly over to her and snuggled into her chest. It pained Faith to see her lover so weak. Buffy deserved more.

"I can't believe you're here," Buffy mumbled into her chest. "I thought I was hallucinating. I've wanted to see you for so long. I thought I never would."

"I'm here," Faith said soothingly, rubbing small circles into the Slayer's back. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't think I'm going to make it," Buffy said softly.

"You will," Faith answered firmly. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you this time. I promise."

"I love you," Buffy murmured as she closed her eyes.

"I love you too, B," Faith replied, leaning her head against the desk as Buffy struggled to fight off the virus. Faith could not believe how twisted her life had become. Her presumably dead lover was lying in her arms, desperately fighting off a deadly virus, while she sat in the ruined Initiative compound awaiting a cure to be delivered by a vicious vampire that had plagued the world for centuries. She had to chuckle. Buffy was alive and in her arms. The numbness that had settled on her heart was lifting and, for the first time in several long days, Faith felt the seeds of happiness sprouting in her heart.


	11. The Sudden Darkness

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

"I love you too, B," Faith replied, leaning her head against the desk as Buffy struggled to fight off the virus. Faith could not believe how twisted her life had become. Her presumably dead lover was lying in her arms, desperately fighting off a deadly virus, while she sat in the ruined Initiative compound awaiting a cure to be delivered by a vicious vampire that had plagued the world for centuries. She had to chuckle. Buffy was alive and in her arms. The numbness that had settled on her heart was lifting and, for the first time in several long days, Faith felt the seeds of happiness sprouting in her heart.

Chapter Ten: The Sudden Darkness:

Spike knew that if his heart had been pumping blood through his veins, it would have burst from the strain of his exhausting run through the corridors of Sublevel Three. Despite Kate and Paul's regularly scheduled feedings of the hostiles still alive in Section D of the main floor of the Initiative, Spike felt weak and famished from his extended stay underground. The two Initiative employees had been trying to conserve the blood needed to feed the vampires; thus, Spike had not been fed the amount to which he had become accustomed. Slowing to a stop, he listened to the sound of his boots slapping against the floor as it echo away into infinity. He had run through Corridor D and into Corridor F. Though the labeling had confused him at first, he determined that Corridor A connected to Corridor C, then to Corridor E, and finally Corridor G. Corridor B proceeded in a like fashion. However, he assumed that both wings of Sublevel Three met at some point, which he had not yet discovered.

According to the directory, he had to locate Corridor H, which hopefully would contain the anti-virus. If not, he would have to backtrack to Corridor A and proceed down to the labs in Corridor G. However, he did not believe that the Slayer would survive long enough for him to search the other wing of the floor. She had been fading quickly when he left. With that thought in mind, he continued his dizzying pace through the hallway. The walls flashed by him, blue in the emergency lighting. He could hear his own footsteps raging in his ears. The dark hallway stretched before him perpetually. Never in all of his years as both vampire and human had he imagined that he would be running down the hallway of a secret government facility searching for an anti-virus to save a Slayer, of all people. He had to chuckle to himself, though he knew that if word ever reached his demon friends, his reputation would be ruined for years to come.

Despite his animosity towards the Slayer, as the individual destined to slaughter the very creature that he was, some part of the humanity still lingering in the recesses of his silent heart felt pity for her. He found himself wanting to help her, though another part of him wanted her to suffer horrendously before she died. Yet, he knew that without her, he would never escape from the Initiative whole and intact. Though she had not implicitly told him about state of the world above the Initiative, he knew from the fact that she risked entry into the compound to find the cure _after_ she had been infected that the zombies had escaped and wreaked havoc on Sunnydale. He had seen a deep pain lingering in the Slayer's eyes and he wondered what, or who, she had lost on the surface. Once they escaped, though Spike would have ample opportunity to kill her, he rather thought that he would simply part ways with Buffy in hopes of never seeing her again.

Corridor F faded into Corridor H and Spike slowed his pace so that he could scan the labs dotting the hallway. Windows opened to rooms filled with sterile, stainless steel tables and equipment. Refrigerators still hummed in each room, kept alive by the emergency generators barely lighting his way. Yet, every room appeared identical to the next. Spike wondered how the employees of the Initiative had found their way in the maze of rooms. Outside of each door, a plaque hung on the wall with a simple description of the project that had developed, or had been developing, within. Pausing by one of the doors, he read aloud, "Project 1742: Neutralization of hostiles, cranial implants." Smirking, he wondered what scientist had created the implant resting inside of his own skull. Always, he could feel it pressing against his brain – a foreign, violating thing. At first, it had aggravated him to such an extent that he clawed at his head, trying to pry it out with his fingers. After some time, however, when those attempts had failed, he made a certain uneasy peace with the intrusive object.

He hoped to have it removed upon his escape from his underground hell. Moving away from the door, he approached the next. The description on its plaque did not seem to match any project desirous to raise zombies, so he moved on again. He was nearing the end of the hallway, his anxiety rising with each footstep, when he stopped before a larger laboratory than the rest. "Project 90046, Code Name: Animatus," he read aloud. "Bingo," he said, smiling triumphantly. The door of the lab hung loosely open and Spike could see claw marks in the metal from where the first zombie had escaped from its confines and had ripped open the door to the detriment of his fingernails. A humming refrigerator stood in the corner of the room. Moving swiftly over to it, Spike ripped open the door.

Inside of the refrigerator sat hundreds of little, glass vials of an amber liquid and hundreds of vials of a blue liquid. Spike picked up a bottle of the amber and read, "Virus, sample 97." Shaking his head, he placed the vial back in the refrigerator. Picking up one of the blue ones, he smiled and said, "Anti-virus." He glanced quickly around the room and noticed a carrying case in which he could store a dozen samples of the anti-virus. Tucked inside of a compartment were several needles with which Spike imagined a person injected the serum into the blood stream. After he had placed all of the samples into the case, he shut the lid. It clicked closed and he picked it up. As he was about to move out of the room, he saw movement in the hallway. Ducking behind one of the tables, he waited silently as a soldier entered the room.

The man stopped in the doorway, glancing around warily. His gun was raised, but he seemed to be searching for someone, or something. "Spike?" He asked finally, his voice ringing hesitantly out into the room.

"Bloody hell," Spike murmured, rising to his feet from his hiding place behind a lab table. "Who're you?" He asked defensively.

"It's okay," Jay said, lowering his gun and smiling disarmingly. "I'm Jay. Buffy told me she sent you to get the anti-virus."

"You spoke with Buffy, did you?" Spike questioned.

"Yeah," Jay nodded. "Blonde woman you left back at the desk to Corridor D. The one infected with the virus," Jay explained. "I knew her from before."

"Shagged her, did ya?" Spike asked, grinning widely.

Jay rolled his eyes. "No, I think Faith would have killed me if I had."

"So you knew her before she decided on her suicide mission, but after she decided she didn't want to drive stick anymore?" Spike asked.

"Yes," Jay sighed. "Do you have the anti-virus or not?"

"What do you think I'm holding in my hands?" Spike asked, holding up the case. "I'm not carrying this thing around for the joy of it."

"We should get back," Jay suggested. "I don't know how much longer Buffy has."

"Yeah," Spike agreed as Jay led the way out of the room, "can't let the Slayer putter out on us now, can we?" Jay looked back at the vampire uncertainly and Spike grinned. "Don't trust me with this, do you?" He asked, tightening his grip on the case. "I don't trust you with it either. So until we get back to the Slayer, this stays with me. Understand, soldier boy?" Spike sneered.

"Fine," Jay reluctantly agreed. "Let's just get moving." Jay followed behind as Spike began running back through the corridors to the place where he had left Buffy. Though the vampire had held to his word and retrieved the anti-virus, Jay hoped that he was not making a colossal mistake by allowing the demon to keep it in his possession.

………………………….

"Do you think Spike will find it?" Buffy asked softly, audibly struggling to breathe as she formed her question. The sounds of her ragged breath pained Faith, but she blinked away the tears forming at the corners of her eyes, knowing that she had to be strong for her lover.

"Of course," Faith said as confidently as she could, though she had her doubts. Buffy had trusted Angel because he had possessed a soul. Even though Faith had seen Angel perform many good deeds while in Sunnydale, she still had doubted the sincerity of his actions. She often wondered if he was not simply playing Buffy to remain close to her. However, her opinion of him had changed since Giles' revelation that he had continued to fight the good fight on his own. Faith could not place the same trust in Spike, however. The bleach blonde vampire had not been cursed, or blessed, with a soul. Instead, he had been neutered by a chip in his brain that prevented him from physically hurting humans. However, a person did not have to be able physically to hurt another in order to cause chaos and destruction.

"Once I get that anti-virus," Buffy wheezed, "I'm gonna kick some zombie ass."

"I know you are," Faith replied, running her hand through Buffy's long, blonde hair. Though Buffy had been tense when Faith had first taken her into her arms, the older woman had relaxed considerably. She seemed to be able to breathe easier when the tension had left her muscles, though she still struggled to suck in air.

"It's not your fault, you know," Buffy reassured her quietly.

"I should have protected you," Faith countered. "It's my job to protect you."

"I can protect myself," Buffy reminded her. "It just happened. Maybe it was meant to happen."

"You shouldn't have to suffer like this," Faith argued.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Buffy murmured. "Sounds like something Giles would say." Faith smirked. "Are Willow and Tara okay?"

"They're fine," Faith nodded. "I think Willow might have even been starting to like me," she smiled. "Giles missed you. I could see it in his eyes. He was haunted."

"He'll probably have a heart attack when he sees me again," Buffy joked weakly.

"He wanted me to go to Los Angeles to help Angel," Faith explained. "I guess we can both go."

"Giles and Angel working together, who would have thought?" Buffy questioned.

"Who would have thought me and you?" Faith noted.

"We always had something," Buffy said softly. "Even if I didn't realize it."

"You always were a little slow," Faith joked. She was about to continue her gentle mocking when the emergency lighting above them groaned and suddenly blackened.

"What just happened?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Faith said, sitting up and grabbing her gun. Though her eyes were opened, she could see nothing but darkness in the inky black of the underground. "The lights went off."

"Can you see anything?" Buffy asked.

"No," Faith shook her head. "Can you?"

"No," Buffy replied anxiously. "I have a flashlight," she stated, reaching around for the flashlight clipped to her belt. She fumbled in the dark to hand it to Faith, who eagerly accepted it.

Faith clicked the flashlight on and surveyed the room. She could not see anything amiss in the hallway. "I think it's okay," she said. Suddenly, a familiar low sound reached her ears. In the distance, she could hear the ravenous groaning of zombies.

Buffy sucked in a breath and moved closer to Faith. "Oh shit."

……………………………..

Diego and Mark moved swiftly down the hallway. Though he had trained for years to deal with tense and dangerous situations, Diego was completely unnerved by the eerie silence pervading the Initiative. Even the emergency lighting cast a devilish glow about the corridor as they walked. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he wanted nothing more than to return to the wife and baby that awaited him back home. Though none of his companions on the mission knew it, Diego had recently become a father. He loved simply looking down at his daughter as she slept in her crib. She looked so peaceful. He could see her face in his mind's eye as he and Mark sped down the hallway. He feared now that he would never see her again. He knew that the Army would tell her that he had died a hero, but that would only comfort her for so long. A dead hero, at the end of the day, was still just dead.

"Here we are," Mark announced. "Corridor G. Labs are located here. Hopefully we'll find the anti-virus. Once we rendezvous with Jay and Faith, we can get the hell out of here."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Diego muttered.

Mark inspected the nearest labs, discovered that they were useless, and moved on. Diego followed slowly behind. His intuition told him that something was wrong. But as he inspected the hallway, he saw nothing amiss. Mark moved over to another door. "This might be something," he said. Gripping the door knob, he pushed the door open. Diego saw movement flash out of the corner of his eye, but before he could raise his gun, a group of zombies had taken hold of Mark. They had been waiting on the other side of the door, silently hoping that Mark would open it and inadvertently free them. Mark cried out in pain as one of the zombies latched onto his arm and began pulling off the flesh. His gun dropped to the floor with a metallic clang.

"Shit!" Diego yelled, raising his gun as the zombies pulled Mark further inside of the room. They crowded around the wounded soldier, encompassing him inside of a circle, until Diego could no longer see him. He fired several rounds at the zombies, but those that fell were replaced by others. Blood splattered out onto the floor. Diego back away as the zombies began to abandoned the lifeless body of the solider lying in the pool of crimson liquid. When they saw him, their eyes gleamed hungrily. Diego looked down at Mark, popped a single round into his head, and ran. The zombies chased after him. Holding his gun behind him, he fired several shot back into the crowd. One of the shots hit something metal. Diego heard a loud hiss and a pop and then the lights went out.


	12. Reconnection

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming!

Previously:

"Shit!" Diego yelled, raising his gun as the zombies pulled Mark further inside of the room. They crowded around the wounded soldier, encompassing him inside of a circle, until Diego could no longer see him. He fired several rounds at the zombies, but those that fell were replaced by others. Blood splattered out onto the floor. Diego back away as the zombies began to abandoned the lifeless body of the solider lying in the pool of crimson liquid. When they saw him, their eyes gleamed hungrily. Diego looked down at Mark, popped a single round into his head, and ran. The zombies chased after him. Holding his gun behind him, he fired several shot back into the crowd. One of the shots hit something metal. Diego heard a loud hiss and a pop and then the lights went out.

Chapter Eleven: Reconnection:

Darkness – darkness so complete and whole that it seemed to penetrate down to his very bones. He was surrounded by a darkness that he could feel flowing inky black through his veins. Though his eyes were opened, he could see nothing but a perpetual void stretching before him in a landscape of black. Behind him, he could hear the throaty moaning of the zombies stumbling after him as he ran down the hallway. Gripping his gun tightly in his hands, he flipped on the flashlight attached to the scope. A strong beam of light danced before him, illuminating the floor of the hallway on which he ran for his life. Mark had been killed by the zombies chasing him. Though Diego only had known him for a short time, the other soldier had seemed like a good man. He had not deserved to be killed in such a way.

Diego could sleep easier at night – if he ever had the opportunity to lie in the comfort of his own bed again – knowing that Mark had been spared the worse fate of rising again as a flesh consuming monster. The sound of his heart pounding in his chest resounded in his ears. He feared that it might burst so fast did it pump blood through his veins. The muscles in his legs begged for him to stop, but he knew that if he slowed, the zombies behind him would catch him. He dared not look back, for fear that they would be closer than he imagined. Already, he thought that he could feel their rotten breath tickling his neck; their chipped and broken fingernails scraping against the fabric of his shirt. He shuddered and pressed forward.

However, the corridors only led in one direction and Diego knew that he was leading the zombies straight to the rendezvous point at which he hoped, and feared, that his friends would be waiting. The sudden darkness would have indicated to them that something had gone horribly wrong. He hoped that they were prepared. He had known when he had volunteered for the mission that it would be dangerous, but he never had believed that anyone in his group would perish within the confines of the ruined military compound. Despite the warnings, he had believed that their training would bring them through to the end. Zombies were monsters out of movies, but everyone knew that the good guys always won. Diego was starting to realize that the good guys did not always win and sometimes zombies were very real.

He slowed to a halt once he had reached the rendezvous point upon which the group had agreed. To his dismay and relief, he found no one present at the location. Fear threatened to choke whatever courage still resided in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by the people who he trusted. However, he wanted them to be safe and he knew that confronting a hungry horde of zombies would be the death of them. If he continued running, he knew that he would lead the zombies directly to them. He had to think of a plan and he had to do it quickly. The zombies were closing in on him. Allowing his eyes to scan the walls, he noticed a grate leading to the ventilation system. He moved over to it quickly and banged the grate out of the wall with the butt of his gun. It crashed to the floor with an audible clang.

"Well, if they hadn't figured out what I was doing, they have now," Diego muttered to himself. Gripping the edges of the vent, he hoisted himself into the hole and slid through the opening. As he drew his foot through, he felt hands groping at his shoe. Quickly withdrawing it, he began the arduous task of crawling. The opening disappeared behind him. Moving his gun in front of him, he pointed the flashlight into the darkness. The vent was narrow and hot, but he managed to propel himself forward. Sweat poured down his face. Though he had not studied very carefully the maps of the ventilation system provided by his superiors, he knew that the vents ran parallel to the hallways. Eventually, he would reach the other side of Sublevel Three, where the other labs were located. Hopefully, he would find the rest of his team along the way.

…………………………….

"Bloody hell!" Spike exclaimed when the lights faded to black. He screeched to a halt and Jay collided into him. The soldier and vampire crashed to the floor in a heap. "Get off of me," Spike growled.

"I wouldn't be on you if you hadn't of stopped so suddenly," Jay shot back defensively. Picking himself up, he flipped on the flashlight attached to his gun barrel.

"That's convenient," Spike muttered.

"Always be prepared," Jay replied good-naturedly.

"Boy scout," Spike grumbled.

"I actually wasn't," Jay said. "It's just a good rule of thumb. Besides, would you rather us have to grope our way back to Buffy and Faith in the dark?"

"I can see well enough," Spike countered. "I am a vampire after all. We're meant to thrive in the night."

"Then why did you stop?" Jay asked exasperatedly.

"It caught me off guard, that's all," Spike reasoned. "I hadn't been expecting the lights to shut off."

"Would you like me to turn off the flashlight then?" Jay offered, but Spike quickly shook her head.

"No," he hastily replied. "That's alright. Might as well leave it on. Don't want to lose you in the dark or anything."

"Of course not," Jay muttered and Spike began jogging down the hallway again. Shaking his head, he followed after the bleach blonde vampire.

"You think this is going to work?" Spike after, motioning down to the case he held tightly in his hand.

"The cure, you mean?" Jay asked.

"No, hitting her in the back of the head with the case," Spike rolled his eyes. "Yes, I mean the bloody cure."

"I don't know," Jay replied, ignoring his sarcastic comments. "I hope so."

"Can't say I wouldn't like to see that bitch die," Spike noted. Upon Jay's disapproving glare, he elaborated, "It's unnatural for a vampire to help a Slayer. It just goes against everything in our blood. But she is the only way I'm going to get out of here. Still, can't blame a guy for fantasizing."

"Just don't let Faith hear you say that," Jay warned.

"Which part?" Spike asked humorously.

"All of it," Jay replied. "I get the feeling she might be the jealous type."

"For god sakes," Spike muttered. "I didn't mean fantasizing about the Slayer in that way."

"I know," Jay smirked. "But wouldn't it be a shame if your words were taken slightly out of context?"

"Ponce," Spike mumbled under his breath.

"I don't know what that means," Jay stated, "but I think I take offense to it."

"Good call," Spike grinned.

"You're intolerable, you know that?" Jay growled.

"I know," Spike nodded. "It's all a part of my charm."

"Right," Jay rolled his eyes.

"Why do you think the lights went out?" Spike asked.

Jay shrugged. "Can't be a good sign, whatever happened."

"Nothing like being trapped in the dark deep underground," Spike shuddered. "It's enough to freak anyone out."

"I think I can agree with you on that," Jay admitted. Spike slowed again, but Jay noticed and moved so as not to collide with the vampire. "What is it?" He asked.

"We're here," Spike announced.

"Do you hear that?" Jay asked warily.

"Hear what?" Spike asked, but as soon as the words left his lips, he heard the distinct groaning of zombies in the distance. "Well this day just got worse."

"Did you get it?" Faith asked, rising to her feet when she heard their voices. Buffy reached out for her and the dark haired Slayer looked down, taking the older girl's hand in her own. "It's okay, B. I'm not going anywhere." Moving the flashlight around the room, she stopped when it beamed into Spike's face.

"I got it," Spike nodded. "No thanks to soldier boy here."

"I didn't do anything to you," Jay replied defensively.

"You did point your gun at me," Spike noted.

"Guys!" Faith yelled, silencing them both. "Can we get on with this please?" She asked. In a lower voice, she added, "She doesn't have much time."

"Give me the case," Jay instructed, looking over at Spike. The vampire begrudgingly handed the case over to the soldier. Moving over to Buffy, he knelt down as the dark haired Slayer did the same. Flipping open the lid of the case, he withdrew one of the needles. Buffy whimpered at the sight of it and Faith gathered the blonde girl into her arms.

"It's okay, B. I'm right here with you," she whispered soothingly into her ear as she brushed her hand gently through her hair. "We need to do this though if you're going to get better."

"I'm scared," Buffy admitted in a small whisper.

"I know," Faith said, her voice cracking slightly though she desperately struggled to contain her emotions.

Jay removed one of the vials of the anti-virus from the case and snapped it into place on the syringe. "I'm not sure what this is going to do," he admitted.

"Will it hurt her?" Faith asked concernedly.

"I don't know," Jay shook his head. "Let's just hope this works," he added as he lowered the syringe to Buffy's arm. Buffy closed her eyes when the needle pierced her skin. Faith tightened her grip on the blonde Slayer, watching as Jay pushed the anti-virus through the needle and into the girl's blood stream. He removed the needle gently once he had finished and placed it back in the case. Everyone gathered around Buffy, looking at her expectantly.

"How do you feel?" Spike asked after several silent moments.

"I don't know," Buffy said confusedly. "I don't really…," she trailed off suddenly. Her body went rigid in Faith's arms and she cried out in pain.

"Shit," Faith muttered, holding the older woman closely as her muscles began shuddering rapidly. Buffy's eyes rolled back in her head and the movements stopped. "B?" Faith asked, shaking her slightly, but the other woman did not respond. "Buffy?" She asked more desperately.

"Come on, Slayer," Spike muttered.

"Buffy," Jay called. "Wake up."

"What's happening to her?" Faith asked anxiously.

"She's still breathing," Jay said. "Maybe the virus is working."

"Or maybe it's killing her," Spike commented.

"Shut up," Faith growled. Leaning down, she gently wiped some stray hands of Buffy's hair behind her ear. The Slayer was lying completely still in her arms, as if she had suddenly fallen asleep. If not for the weak rise and fall of her chest, Faith would have thought that her lover had died. The cry of pain Buffy had emitted when the anti-virus had starting traveling through her bloodstream rang clear and agonizing in Faith's ears. She wanted nothing more than to comfort the older Slayer, but she did not know what to do. "B," she whispered softly. "You have to wake up, baby. I need you here with me."

"Look, I don't mean to ruin the moment or anything," Spike cut in, "but those zombies are getting closer." Spike glanced up, peering into the darkness. The moaning he had heard once they had reached Buffy and Faith was echoing louder down the walls. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to run, but his feet remained rooted to the ground. He had struck a bargain with the Slayer and he was not going to turn his back on it.

Faith was about to respond when Buffy's eyes suddenly shot open. She stared up at Faith, her face a blank slate, and then she blinked confusedly. "Faith?" She asked.

Faith exhaled a breath that she had not been aware she was holding and flashed her lover a lopsided grin. "Hey, B," she said warmly. "Thought we lost you there for a second."

"Huh?" Buffy asked, sitting up and rubbing absently the spot on her arm where Jay had injected the anti-virus.

"You screamed, started convulsing, and lost consciousness," Jay explained. "We didn't know what was happening."

"How do you feel?" Faith asked worriedly.

"Okay," Buffy nodded thoughtfully. "I think I'm okay."

"You _look_ better," Spike commented. Faith shot him a look and he grinned at her.

"About the zombies," Jay began.

"Zombies?" Buffy asked, looking around warily. "Where?"

"We don't know," Faith said. "We can hear them."

Buffy shuddered when she noticed the groaning staining the air. "I hate that noise," she muttered. "Help me up?" She asked Faith. The dark haired Slayer rose to her feet and extended her hand for Buffy. The older woman took it and shakily stood.

"You sure you're okay?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded more confidently. "I can feel it working through me," she said in reference to the cure. "I felt wrong before, like this stain was growing in me."

Faith sighed with relief. Suddenly, she became aware that she could feel Buffy again. When Buffy had become infected with the zombie virus, Faith had been unable to feel her through their Slayer connection. Now, however, she could feel Buffy standing beside her. Though the connection was weak, the dark haired Slayer could feel it growing stronger per second. "We need to find out where those zombies are," Buffy stated. "We've got a flashlight and, Jay, your gun has a light attached to the scope, right?" Jay nodded. "We could be hearing zombies four hallways away. We don't know. But we need to find out."

"What're you suggesting?" Spike asked.

"We're going to do some exploring," Buffy said, her confidence growing as she began to feel stronger. "And we're going to get out of here."


	13. Means of Escape

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for all of the reviews. They give me inspiration, so keep them coming!

Previously:

Faith sighed with relief. Suddenly, she became aware that she could feel Buffy again. When Buffy had become infected with the zombie virus, Faith had been unable to feel her through their Slayer connection. Now, however, she could feel Buffy standing beside her. Though the connection was weak, the dark haired Slayer could feel it growing stronger per second. "We need to find out where those zombies are," Buffy stated. "We've got a flashlight and, Jay, your gun has a light attached to the scope, right?" Jay nodded. "We could be hearing zombies four hallways away. We don't know. But we need to find out."

Chapter Twelve: Means of Escape:

Faith watched as Buffy moved ahead of her. The blonde Slayer held a handgun tightly in her grip, extended in front of her into the darkness illuminated by the flashlight attached to the scope of Jay's rifle. Spike held the other flashlight. Its beam danced across the walls. Despite the overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia clutching at her, Faith felt a stillness in her heart that she had not felt since she and Buffy had first kissed in the Bronze only a short time ago. Since that day, many things had happened that had catapulted Faith into a tumultuous sea of chaos and doubt. She wondered now if she had not accepted the mission to reenter Sunnydale as a subconscious desire to die so that she could have joined her presumably dead lover. She realized now how misguided that attempt would have been, as Buffy was still alive, and gratefully thanked the Powers that Be for allowing her to come so far without incident.

However, as the group traveled further down the darkened hallways of the Initiative, Faith realized that they were not safe yet. The moaning of the zombies grew louder with every step. Faith thought that she could hear their feet scraping across the floor. Sweat dripped down the sides of her face as the hallways grew hotter and hotter, as if warmed by the presence of hundreds of perspiring bodies. Faith shivered fearfully and raised her gun. The darkness loomed before them ever present and tangible. She felt as though she could reach out and touch the very oily blackness itself. With every breath she inhaled, she felt as though a sludge was creeping down her throat, choking the very life from her. The hallway had grown eerily silent.

The beam of Jay's flashlight played on the walls until it ascended upon something standing in the middle of the hallway. The group halted, their fears confirmed. A cluster of zombies waited before them. They stared dumbly at the group of living humans, their slack jaws hanging open. Spit dribbled from the mouth of the zombie closest to them. His teeth were red with blood. Faith raised her gun, but Jay put a stopping hand on the barrel. "No," he shook his head. "There's too many of them."

"What the bloody hell do you propose we do then?" Spike asked incredulously.

"Turn around and run," Buffy instructed softly.

"You just want to leave?" Spike demanded.

"Yes," Buffy nodded as the group collectively began to back away. The zombies moved forward, their eyes lighting up in a malicious fashion when they caught the scent of fresh flesh. Faith gulped and moved backwards slowly. The zombie in front of the pack stared directly at her, his murky yellowed eyes unblinking and fierce. Through the silence that had encompassed the corridor, a guttural scream issued forth from the beast staring at the dark Slayer. The wail pierced her very bones and she shuddered. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and curl up into a ball to protect herself from the bestial sound, but suddenly Buffy was pushing her backwards, yelling at the group to run.

Spike was the first to follow her command. Turning on his heels, he darted back into the darkness behind them. Jay followed suit, the beam of his light now dancing erratically upon the floors and walls. Buffy dashed behind him, but Faith remained rooted to the floor. The zombies began to rush at her, but her feet would not move. Her gun hung limply in her hands. The eyes of the zombie bored into her, twisting her heart with inhumanly strong hands. "Faith!" Buffy shouted as she skidded to a stop. She realized almost instantly that the former rogue Slayer had not followed her. "Faith! Move your ass!" She yelled.

Buffy's voice broke the trance that had settled onto Faith's mind. Shaking her head quickly, her eyes widened in fear. "Oh shit," she muttered as she saw how close the zombies were to catching her. Turning, she quickly ran back to her lover, who stood waiting for her several yards down the corridor.

"What the hell were you doing?" Buffy demanded as the duo continued to run. Spike and Jay lingered just ahead of them.

"Don't ask," Faith shook her head.

"You do realize that this hallway doesn't go anywhere, right, Slayer?" Spike questioned. His voice echoed back down the hallway to Buffy. "The labs don't have an exit."

"We'll worry about that later," Buffy dismissed him. "We just need to find someplace safe to hide for now until we can figure out what to do."

"Someplace safe?" Spike snorted. "Look around, love, there is no place safe."

Faith rolled her eyes at his choice of words. "Just keep running, Blondie," she instructed angrily.

"The labs!" Jay suddenly exclaimed. He still carried the case loaded with the anti-virus vials in one hand, while wielding his gun with the other. "We can hide in the labs. The doors lock. Besides, there's so many of them, the zombies won't know where to look."

"Good idea," Buffy replied. "We'll barricade ourselves into one of the labs until we can think of a plan."

The group dashed down the corridors, their feet unerringly guiding them as they fled from the zombie horde behind them. Finally, they reached the last corridor, where the laboratories were located. Running over to one of the closed doors, Jay entered a code and the door slid open. The group slipped into the room and the door slid shut just as the zombies entered the hallway. "Quickly," Buffy instructed silently. "Move the lab tables to block the doors."

Dropping their guns, Faith and Jay lifted the nearest table and deposited it directly in front of the door. Buffy and Spike grabbed another and placed it on top of the first. Through the windows peering out into the corridor, Buffy vaguely could discern the shapes of the zombies searching for them. "Get down!" She instructed quietly. Faith lowered herself to the floor, reaching silently for her gun. Jay did the same. The dark haired Slayer could hear the zombie's feet shuffling on the floor. Their ravenous moans filled her ears and she slid closer to Buffy.

"You okay?" Buffy whispered.

"I hate that fucking sound," Faith replied.

"So do I," Buffy said reassuringly, grabbing the other's girls hand. She held it in her own, absently running her thumb back and forth across Faith's knuckles.

"How do you do that?" Faith asked, chuckling to herself in disbelief.

"Do what?" Buffy questioned confusedly.

"How do you calm me down like that with a simple touch? I was freaking out, but as soon as I felt your thumb on my knuckles, everything just vanished," Faith explained.

Buffy smiled. "I don't know," she shrugged. "I guess I'm just talented that way."

"I guess so," Faith agreed.

"You do the same for me," Buffy said quietly. "You always have."

"Really?" Faith asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Buffy confirmed.

"Cool," Faith grinned. Buffy rolled her eyes. A hand pounded on the door suddenly, causing both Slayers to jump.

"Shit," Jay muttered, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. The sound repeated until dozens of hands began to slap against the metal.

"They know that we're in here," Spike commented.

"No shit," Faith shot back.

"What're we going to do?" Jay asked.

"I have no idea," Buffy admitted. "Can they get in here?" She questioned.

"No," Jay shook his head. "I don't think so."

"You don't think so?" Spike asked incredulously.

"Well, unless one of them remembers the code and has the coordination and mental capacity to type it into the number pad. We haven't met a zombie that smart yet though," Jay explained.

"There's always a first," Spike muttered.

"Don't say that," Faith admonished.

"Why not?" Spike asked.

"That's just asking for trouble," she replied.

"Everybody calm down, okay?" Buffy said authoritatively. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Really?" Spike asked.

"Yes," Buffy said confidently. "I will get us out of here."

"Everything's not going to be okay," Jay contradicted her. "Diego and Mark are still out there."

"Shit," Faith muttered, shaking her head. She had forgotten about Diego and Mark with the excitement of curing Buffy.

"Diego and Mark?" Buffy asked, looking over at her questioningly.

"They were a part of our team," Faith explained. "Four of us were sent down here to retrieve the anti-virus. We split up once we got to this level. Figured we could find the cure faster."

"They went the other way down the hall," Jay added.

"You mean they went down the direction from which all of the zombies came?" Buffy asked, a sense of dread growing in her heart.

"Yeah," Jay replied sullenly.

"I think they're dead," Spike stated.

"Thanks," Faith muttered. "We really needed to hear that out loud."

"What?" Spike shrugged. "I'm just telling you the truth. You want me to sugar coat it for you? Fine, maybe they're still alive. Maybe they're holed up somewhere just like us, waiting for their opportunity to escape. Or, maybe a horde of zombies came along, ripped their throats out, and ate their kidneys."

"Shut up," Jay said angrily.

"It'll be a boring day the day I do that," Spike grinned. The pounding on the door grew louder and the group collectively glanced around at each other nervously.

"Now would be a good time to think up a plan, B," Faith said.

"I'm working on it," Buffy shot back, instantly regretting the harshness of her tone when she saw Faith's face fall. "I didn't mean it like that," she added softly.

"It's okay," Faith said dismissively. "You're under a lot of pressure. I get that."

"We're both under a lot of pressure," Buffy replied.

"It's just…I've always followed you, you know? When everyone picked me to lead them at the Bronze, I didn't really know what I was doing. I felt so lost, even though you were there with me, helping me along the way. I'm not a leader, B. It's just second nature for me to turn to you," Faith explained.

"I know," Buffy said reassuringly. "It's okay. Besides, you may have felt lost when you led us, but you did a damn good job. We'd probably all be dead right now if not for you."

"Even of us are," Faith muttered.

"What happened with the first van was not your fault," Buffy said, in reference to the explosion that claimed the lives of many of the survivors, including the blonde Slayer's mother.

"It was my plan. It was my fault," Faith insisted.

"You can't blame yourself for everything that happens. Hell, I could just as easily say that this whole zombie invasion was my fault," Buffy returned.

"Bullshit," Faith shot back. "This was not your fault."

"Exactly," Buffy said. "This wasn't my fault and what happened during our escape was not your fault. More importantly, Faith, my getting bit was not your fault."

Faith laughed humorlessly and looked down at the ground. "How'd you know I was blaming myself for that?" She asked.

"Because I would have been blaming myself if it was you," Buffy smiled. "That wasn't your fault either. I didn't even see that zombie coming. There was no way you could have."

"But I should have," Faith said.

"But you didn't," Buffy countered. "And it's okay. I didn't either. That's the point. It just happened. Sometimes, things just happen."

"I hate to ruin the moment," Spike interrupted, "but there's still that small matter of the zombies trying to break down the door."

"You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" Buffy asked exasperatedly.

"I absolutely do not," Spike confirmed.

"There has to be another way of getting out of here," Buffy commented.

"Other than plowing our way through the zombies?" Faith asked.

Before Buffy could reply, a sharp clanging noise resounded in the room. Everyone jumped to their feet, raising their guns defensively as they surveyed the lab for the source of the disturbance. A black shadowy figure tumbled out of a hole near the ceiling and hit the floor with an audible thud. "Ow," a scratchy male voice groaned. "Not cool."

Faith stepped forward, grabbing the flashlight from Spike's hands and directing its beam to the man crumpled on the floor. "Diego?" She asked in surprise.

Diego looked up at her from his position on the ground and smiled with relief. "Hey," he said amiably. "I was hoping that I'd run into you."

"Jesus," Jay muttered, lowering his gun. "We thought that you were dead."

"I'm not," Diego replied, picking himself up shakily. "Mark is though."

"Shit," Faith whispered.

"Will he?" Jay began, but Diego interrupted.

"I shot him in the head. He won't become one of them," he answered.

"Good," Jay stated. "Are you okay?" He added.

"I'm alright," Diego replied. "A little thirsty though. Anyone have any water?"

Jay nodded and threw him his bottle of water. Diego caught it and drank from it gratefully. "Thanks, man," he said when he had sated his thirst and thrown the bottle back to Jay.

"The vents," Buffy said, slapping herself on the forehead. "God, why didn't I think of that earlier? I'm so mentally deficient sometimes."

"What're you talking about, B?" Faith asked.

"We can get out of here through the vents," Buffy said excitedly. "I think we just found our means of escape."


	14. Downtime

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Again, sorry for the delay. Been really busy with my non-fanfic writing. Thanks for the reviews though. Keep them coming!

Previously:

"The vents," Buffy said, slapping herself on the forehead. "God, why didn't I think of that earlier? I'm so mentally deficient sometimes."

"What're you talking about, B?" Faith asked.

"We can get out of here through the vents," Buffy said excitedly. "I think we just found our means of escape."

Chapter Thirteen: Downtime:

Diego frowned as he looked back and forth between Faith, Jay, a blonde man, and a blonde woman. "Not to rain on everyone's parade, but I don't know half the people in this room," he noted. "And I'm not sure why we all seem to be taking orders from the blonde woman."

"The blonde woman?" Buffy asked indignantly.

"He doesn't know your name, B," Faith said in defense of Diego, "what was he supposed to call you?"

"Why does everyone always have to point out that I'm blonde?" Buffy whined. "It's really not fair."

"Well, you know what they say about blondes and their mental capacities," Jay said thoughtfully. "It's only natural to question your leading ability."

"What?" Buffy demanded, looking over at him.

"I'm not questioning," he quickly amended. "And I don't think you're stupid just because you're blonde."

"Thanks," Buffy rolled her eyes. "So you just think that I'm stupid."

"_Really_ not what I meant," Jay said defensively.

"In response to your question, mate," Spike interrupted, "the pint sized blonde one is Buffy. She's the vampire Slayer."

"A vampire Slayer," Buffy corrected.

"_A_ vampire Slayer," Spike muttered. "And she seems to have a bit of an authority complex, so I'd just fall in line if I were you. She can get a bit testy."

"Spike," Buffy said warningly.

"I'm only telling the man the truth," he grinned.

"And who are you?" Diego questioned, eyeing him suspiciously.

"That's Spike," Buffy sighed heavily. "Spike is a vampire."

"What?" Diego exclaimed, raising his gun.

"That won't do you any good," Faith said. "Bullets don't kill vampires."

"Why is the vampire still alive?" Diego asked incredulously.

"He promised to help me," Buffy explained, "I promised to get him out of here. It was a thing. I thought I was going to die."

"Why did you think that?" Diego prodded. He realized as the group began their narration that he had jumped into the middle of a rather complex dynamic. By the close proximity of Buffy and Faith, he could tell that they possessed an intimate relationship, whether as loyal friends or lovers he did not know.

"I kinda got bit by a zombie," Buffy answered sheepishly.

Diego swiveled his gun over to Buffy upon hearing her revelation. "Calm down, D," Faith said, stepping forward to block her girlfriend. "It's okay."

"How is it okay?" Diego pressed. "She's going to become one of them."

"No, she's not," Jay interrupted. "We found the cure," he said, motioning to the metal case in his hand. "We injected her with the serum and the infection stopped."

"Really?" Diego asked in surprise. "It actually works?"

"I'm a living, breathing example," Buffy smiled.

Diego lowered his weapon and grinned. "Sorry about that," he offered. "Can't be too careful, you know, with all of the zombies running around this place."

"I get it," Buffy assured him. "And Spike's okay too. Just stay out of his way."

"Bloody right," Spike mumbled.

"Oh, like you could actually do anything," Buffy shot back, tapping on her head with a smug grin.

"Buffy helped Faith lead us out of Sunnydale the first time," Jay explained. "I know we're not supposed to be taking orders from her, but we can trust her judgment."

"Even if she is a blonde," Faith joked, nudging Buffy gently in the ribs with her elbow. Buffy smiled over at her and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in her own.

"I've saved the world many times," Buffy offered. "I can give you my credentials if you like," she joked.

Diego smiled. "That's okay. If Jay and Faith think you know what you're doing, I'll follow you too."

"So what's the plan, B?" Faith asked, happy to be deferring to her blonde counterpart again.

"Do you think they'll be able to bust through those doors?" Buffy asked Jay in reference to the zombies pounding on the metal doors sealing off the lab.

"I honestly don't know," Jay replied. "The doors should hold. But with enough pressure on them over time, they might buckle."

"Why?" Spike asked warily.

"I don't know about you guys," Buffy said, "but I haven't gotten much rest, or a chance to eat anything, in a long time."

"We could use a break to gather our strength," Diego agreed.

"Here's the plan," Buffy said authoritatively, fully enjoying being the leader of the group again, instead of being dragged around the darkened halls of the Initiative by Spike. "We'll bed down here for a few hours, rest and eat. Then we'll start working our way back upstairs through the vents," she explained.

"Who says bed down?" Faith wondered, but Buffy ignored her.

"Once we reach the main floor of the compound, we leave, right?" Diego asked. "We have the virus.

"Not exactly," Buffy said. "We have the virus, but I promised two people trapped upstairs that I'd get them out. I'm not going to leave them here."

"Always the hero," Spike mocked.

"I _am_ a Slayer," Buffy retorted.

"Can we not bicker?" Jay asked wearily. "It's going to be a long climb up those vents."

"Sorry," Buffy apologized, though Spike remained silent.

"I'll take the first watch," Diego offered.

"I'll relieve you in an hour," Jay said.

"Spike?" Buffy asked sweetly. "How about you take the last shift?"

"Hell no," Spike shook his head.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Buffy asked seriously.

"You just want to make out with your girl," Spike muttered.

"Is that a yes?" Buffy prompted.

"Fine," Spike groaned. "But you owe me one, Slayer," he insisted.

"I think leading your undead ass out of here will be payment enough," Buffy declared.

"Alright, guys," Diego announced, glancing down at his watch, "we have three hours to rest and recuperate. Let's make the most of it."

"Oh, we plan to," Faith winked, taking Buffy by the hand and dragging her to a far corner of the room.

"Horny Slayers," Spike groaned, settling himself in the opposite corner. Lying down, he closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall.

Diego sat in front of the door leading to the hallway. The fingers of his right hand rested on his gun and he watched the door with increasing trepidation. The zombies continually banged on the metal. The dull thumping of their hands echoed through the room. Though he wanted to escape the Initiative as soon as possible to return to his family, he knew that his body needed a rest. "You okay?" Jay asked, moving over to join him.

"I'm fine," Diego said dismissively.

"Yeah, sure," Jay replied sarcastically.

Diego sighed and smiled over at his comrade. "It's wasn't easy," he offered.

"What?" Jay asked.

"Watching them," he said, motioning to the zombies outside of the door, "rip apart Mark."

"He was a good man," Jay said softly.

"He was," Diego agreed. "I'm sorry he had to die like that."

"I knew it was dangerous coming back here. I knew how many people died when we were trying to escape the first time. Yet," Jay said, "I didn't want to accept the fact that one of _us _could die."

"Me neither," Diego nodded. "As hard as it was to watch him die though, it was ten times harder to shoot him."

"I can understand that," Jay replied. "If that had happened to you, or Buffy, or Faith, I don't know if I could have done it. Spike, on the other hand," he chuckled, "I would've had no problem shooting."

"I just didn't want him to become one of them," the dark haired soldier muttered, eying the door warily. "I hope the rest of us get out of here okay. We have the anti-virus. Hopefully, luck is on our side."

"Hopefully," Jay agreed.

Though Faith could have heard the soldiers' conversation with her Slayer hearing, she chose instead to focus all of her attention on the blonde woman who was sitting in front of her and leaning back into her arms. "I missed you," Faith admitted, whispering softly into Buffy's ear as she planted gentle, nibbling kisses on her girlfriend's neck. Buffy leaned her head to the side to allow Faith more access and groaned slightly. The dark haired Slayer's actions touched her at her core and she found herself becoming increasingly aroused. "I thought that you had killed yourself," Faith continued. "I heard that gunshot and I felt like the whole world had collapsed in on itself."

"Faith," Buffy tried to interrupt, but the younger girl shook her head.

"Just let me talk, okay?" She asked. Buffy nodded, turning slightly so that she was facing her lover. "I didn't know what to do with myself. You're my everything, Buffy. Without you, nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing matters," she whispered. "I knew that I had to keep going for Giles and the others, but I couldn't feel anything. I was completely numb. I don't even know why I came back here," she shook her head. "Maybe I wanted vengeance. Maybe I just wanted to die. I don't know," she spoke freely. "But when I saw you again," she said, choking slightly on her tears, "I couldn't believe it. It was like I had gotten second…well, third, chance."

"I love you so much, Faith," Buffy said, cupping her girlfriend's cheeks and gently pressing her lips against the other girl's. Faith sighed into the kiss. Touching Buffy reaffirmed that the blonde Slayer truly was alive and well.

"I love you too, B," Faith replied when Buffy pulled away. "When we get out of here, I'm going to show you how much I love you," she whispered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Buffy laughed. "Is that all you ever think about?"

Faith frowned. "No," she answered honestly. "I think about food sometimes too," she joked. "Although, speaking of food, I am kinda hungry."

"Me too," Buffy said, reaching over and grabbing her pack. "I took some things from the van when I decided to try to find the anti-virus. I knew it would be a long trip." She took the last two of the prepackaged sandwiches from the Bronze from her bag and handed one to Faith. "Enjoy," she smiled.

"You know," Faith said, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite, "I'm glad to know that the world outside really hasn't been taken over by zombies."

"Why's that?" Buffy asked. "Well, other than for the obvious reasons."

"I was really gonna miss all the food," Faith joked. Buffy rolled her eyes and slapped her playfully on the arm.

"That's it?" She furthered.

"That's it," Faith nodded.

"So working for Angel, huh?" Buffy said thoughtfully and she chewed her sandwich.

"You wouldn't mind?" Faith asked. "I know you guys have history."

Buffy snorted. "I think it's safe to say that I've moved far beyond Angel by now," she replied. "Don't get me wrong. I loved him very much when I was with him. But I know that it was never meant to be. I've found the only person I want to be with."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, B," Faith smiled.

"I wonder what kind of boss he is," Buffy wondered. "He never was particularly friendly."

"No," Faith laughed. "Not really a morning person either."

"Can you picture him trying to interact with his clients?" Buffy joked.

"He's definitely going to need some help," Faith responded.

"Oh yeah," Buffy agreed. "I think it's our civic duty to contribute."

"Kinda like voting," Faith offered.

"Or eating apple pie on the Fourth of July," Buffy said.

"It would just be un-American to leave those poor people in his socially inept hands," Faith replied.

"It's a good thing that Giles, Willow, and Tara are down there," Buffy noted. "Angel needs some people who will actually smile at the clientele."

Faith smiled and watched Buffy finish her sandwich. "I know this is going to sound weird," she began. "But I'm kinda happy that zombies took over Sunnydale."

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know if we ever would have gotten this close if they hadn't," Faith said. "I don't know how I would have been if I would have woken up from that coma and everything was still the same."

"You would have been exactly how you are now," Buffy said seriously. "I believe in you, Faith. You're a good person. You always have been. You just lost your way a little."

"Thanks, B," Faith smiled. She finished her sandwich and Buffy pulled her to the floor. The older girl snuggled against her, the top of her head resting just underneath of the dark Slayer's chin.

"Let's get some rest," Buffy suggested. "I have a feeling that things are going to get crazy around here in a few hours."

"You go ahead and sleep, B," Faith said as the blonde Slayer's eyes drifted shut. "I'll just watch over you for a bit."


	15. To the End with You

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming.

Previously:

Faith smiled and watched Buffy finish her sandwich. "I know this is going to sound weird," she began. "But I'm kinda happy that zombies took over Sunnydale."

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know if we ever would have gotten this close if they hadn't," Faith said. "I don't know how I would have been if I would have woken up from that coma and everything was still the same."

"You would have been exactly how you are now," Buffy said seriously. "I believe in you, Faith. You're a good person. You always have been. You just lost your way a little."

Chapter Fourteen: To the End with You:

_Zombies were everywhere. From where she lay on the floor, Faith could see thousands of yellowed, decaying eyes staring down at her lustfully, ravaging her with their piercing gazes. She was frozen. She was a Slayer, but she could not move. Everything inside of her blood screamed at her to run, but the world had lost all meaning. Time had ceased to exist and Faith was trapped in a moment of complete and utter terror. The zombies circling her began to advance. The moldy scent of their rotting skin filled her nostrils and she found herself gagging. Fingers clawed at her hair. She heard someone calling her from somewhere, but she could not discern the words. Through the wall of dead flesh surrounding her, she saw a glimmer of golden hair. Then she felt pain._

Buffy's eyes fluttered open. She had fallen asleep in Faith's arms on the floor of the Initiative lab. The world blurred in front of her and she blinked rapidly to clear her vision. Someone's face popped into view. "Hey," Diego said solemnly. "Time to get up."

"Thanks," Buffy smiled and tried to stretch, but noticed that Faith had her gripped in a tight embrace. Looking up into the face of her girlfriend, she saw lines of worry creasing her forehead as she slept. Her mouth was turned into a frown and, occasionally, she twitched violently. She was having a nightmare. Buffy turned to face her and placed her hands the sides of her lover's neck. "Faith," she whispered, leaning forward and brushing her lips against the younger girl's. "Faith, wake up, baby. You're having a bad dream."

_Pain filled her entire being. She felt teeth gnawing through the flesh of her shoulder, striking the bone. At the sight of fresh blood, the rest of the zombies rushed forward, gripping at her exposed skin with their venomous teeth. She wished that she could die, but she was stuck in a consciousness composed entirely of suffering. Teeth ripped her flesh from her body, but still she did not die. She heard someone calling her name. The voice sounded familiar, but she no longer could place it. A hand clamped down on her face. She could not breathe. She struggled, she kicked, and lashed out with what remaining strength she had, but she could not dislodge herself. The world went black. She lost herself. Through the haze in her mind, she felt something brush against her lips. Warmth filled her heart._

Faith opened her eyes, bolting upright and nearly toppling Buffy in the process. "Hey, calm down, baby," Buffy said soothingly. "It's okay."

"B?" Faith asked confusedly, glancing at her girlfriend. After a quick survey of the room, she sighed with relief. "No zombies," she muttered. "Thank God."

"You were just dreaming, that's all," Buffy smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. When her lips met Faith's, she felt a tremor run through her body – a spark of electricity that she never had felt with anyone else.

"Oh, knock it off," Spike complained grumpily. "No one wants to watch you sodding birds make out like little bunny rabbits."

"Actually, I wouldn't mind," Jay joked.

"Have a thing for lesbians, Jay?" Faith asked humorously.

"Who doesn't?" Diego shot back with a grin.

"Bloody hell," Spike mumbled under his breath. "Can't anyone around here focus for more than two seconds?"

"Sorry," Buffy smiled unapologetically. "We're supposed to be preparing to leave, aren't we?"

"We are," Jay confirmed.

In the space of silence that fell between them, Buffy heard again the resonating pounding of the zombies trying to break into the room. Frowning slightly, she noticed that the door was starting to buckle. "Okay, guys," she said, pointing to the door, "I think that's our cue to get out of here."

"What?" Faith asked, following the path of Buffy's outstretched arm to the bulging metal door. "Shit."

"Jay, you first," Buffy instructed.

"Why does he get to go first?" Spike asked.

"He has the anti-virus," Buffy explained.

"I found the damn thing," Spike grumbled.

"Sorry, Billy," Jay joked as he moved past the bleach blonde vampire. Climbing on a lab stool, he tossed the metal case containing the anti-virus into the darkness, and hoisted himself into the hole.

"Diego," Buffy said. "You next."

Diego nodded and moved over to the open vent, taking Jay's outstretched hand. Buffy grabbed her bag from the floor and slung it over her shoulder. "You next, B," Faith offered.

Buffy smiled over at her girlfriend and easily jumped into the hole. "Looks like it's just you and me now, pet," Spike commented.

Rolling her eyes, Faith replied, "Go ahead."

"Thanks," Spike grinned. "Oh, what?" He asked as he moved under the opening, which yawned empty above him. "No one's gonna help _me_ up?"

"Move your ass, Spike," Faith said threateningly.

"Fine, fine," Spike muttered. "I can bloody well do it myself."

As Spike was lifting himself through the opening, Faith moved behind him. She could see Buffy's worried eyes shining down on her and she smiled reassuringly. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could form the words, a loud, screeching clang tore through the lab. Turning swiftly, she looked back to see the door hanging precariously off of its hinges. A horde of zombies stood on the other side. Faith's eyes met their yellow orbs and a chill ran down her spine. "Faith!" Buffy yelled. "Come on!"

Tearing her gaze away from the zombies, who were now stumbling over the mangled pieces of the door, she propelled herself through the air, grabbing Buffy's arm as the blonde Slayer reached down to help her. Buffy pulled the younger girl up through the hole, but before Faith had cleared the opening, a zombie reached up and snagged her foot. "Shit!" Faith cursed loudly, kicking to shake her foot free. Leaning his face down to her ankle, the zombie opened his mouth to bite. Centimeters before his teeth grazed her flesh, a shot rang out through the room. Faith smelled gunpowder and, turning, she saw Jay leaning over Buffy, his gun aimed through the opening.

"Pull her up!" Jay instructed. Buffy yanked Faith entirely through the hole. The dark Slayer collapsed on top of the older girl, panting heavily as adrenaline crashed through her body.

"God damn," Faith muttered. "That was intense."

"You okay?" Buffy asked concernedly, quickly surveying her girlfriend's foot.

"I'm okay," Faith confirmed. "He didn't get me."

Another burst of gunfire rang through the air. "They're trying to get through the opening," Jay said suddenly. "We have to get moving."

"Lead the way, Jay," Buffy instructed.

"I'll bring up the rear," Diego volunteered. "Although, if they get through that opening, we're screwed."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked as the group began the slow, exhausting crawl through the vents.

"If they follow us," he explained. "There's virtually nothing that we can do about it. We can't shoot in here. It'd be too dangerous."

"We'll just have to hope that they don't catch up with us," Buffy sighed. Though Buffy was hopeful that they would escape from the Initiative unscathed, she knew that they were in great danger. They would have to crawl through the ventilation system and back to the stairwell that connected the main floor of the compound to the system of corridors that spidered out from it like a web. However, they were not free once they had reached the main floor. Zombies littered the area, waiting for human flesh to feed their hunger. Buffy was determined to save Paul and Kate, the only two survivors she had encountered in the Initiative, who were trapped in a dead end hallway off of the main room. She knew that such a task would not be easy.

"Damn, it's hot in here," Faith grumbled behind her. Buffy smiled.

"Well, I _am_ in front of you," she joked.

Faith grinned salaciously. "I can't say that staring at your ass this whole time hasn't been fun."

"You've been staring at my ass?" Buffy said mockingly indignant.

"No, of course not," Faith said seriously, though her eyes were smiling.

Buffy laughed. "When we get out of here," she said seductively, "I'll let you do more than stare at my ass, Faith."

Faith shuddered as a jolt of arousal flashed through her. "I'm holding you to that, B," she promised.

"You better," Buffy replied. She would have winked back at her girlfriend if she could have turned, but the walls of the vent seemed to be closing in around her.

"Anyone else feeling a bit claustrophobic in here?" Spike asked, mirroring Buffy's own thoughts.

"Hell yeah," Jay said.

"Me too," Diego muttered.

"Can't say I'm loving it," Buffy added.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Faith joked. "I'm totally fine squeezing my way through a vent no wider than a cardboard box."

"Glad we're all on the same page," Spike replied.

"Can you see anything behind us?" Buffy asked Jay worriedly.

Diego stopped crawling, contorting himself around to try to see behind him. "Everyone stop for a second," he instructed.

Silence fell between the group as they waited. Sweat dripped from Faith's face and arms as she propped herself up on the floor of the vent. The muscles of her arms were shaking. Her heart was starting to slow from the rapid pace that had captured it when the zombie had grabbed her ankle. But as the adrenaline running through her system began to fade, she started to crash. She had not eaten much since entering the Initiative and the emotional rollercoaster that she had been strapped onto since finding Buffy was starting to take its toll.

"I can't see anything," Diego announced.

"Shh," Jay said suddenly. "I think I hear something."

A distinct clanging noise echoed faintly through the vents. "Shit," Faith said grimly. "You think they're in?"

"I think so," Diego confirmed. "Double our pace people. I don't want to get eaten up here."

"Me neither," Buffy stated.

As the group continued their crawl through the ventilation system, Faith tried to think of anything but the zombies following behind them. However, her mind drifted back to their pursuers. She had faced many terrifying demons during her time as a vampire Slayer. The only time she had frozen when confronting a demon had been during her fight with Kakistos in Sunnydale. She had prided herself on her courage in battle and her willingness to do anything to achieve victory. However, the zombies terrified her to the core of her being. Whenever she looked into their yellowed eyes, she felt paralyzed. The Slayer in her screamed at her to fight, the human in her screamed at her to run, but fear gripped her heart with its icy fingers and rooted her in place.

"We're almost there," Jay announced. "I think I see the grate for the stairwell just ahead."

Faith felt a glimmer of hope spark in her heart at Jay's words, but the reality of their situation caught up with her. Though they would be escaping the zombies following them through the ventilation system, even more zombies awaited them in the main room of the compound. Buffy was determined to save two people trapped in a corridor surrounded by the living dead. Though Faith believed in Buffy and believed her to be a noble warrior, she had to question their actions. The potential danger far outweighed the good that would come from saving them. Diego and Jay had become close friends of hers during their time together. She could not rationalize putting them in danger for two people, whom she had never met. But she loved Buffy more than she had loved anyone else and she knew in her heart that she would follow the blonde Slayer to the end, even if that end was death.


	16. Rescue Mission

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.

Previously:

Buffy was determined to save two people trapped in a corridor surrounded by the living dead. Though Faith believed in Buffy and believed her to be a noble warrior, she had to question their actions. The potential danger far outweighed the good that would come from saving them. Diego and Jay had become close friends of hers during their time together. She could not rationalize putting them in danger for two people, whom she had never met. But she loved Buffy more than she had loved anyone else and she knew in her heart that she would follow the blonde Slayer to the end, even if that end was death.

Chapter Fifteen: Rescue Mission:

"Did I ever tell you that story about how I hate cramped spaces?" Faith asked as she picked herself up off of the floor. Buffy smiled over at her. Faith warily looked up and down the stairwell into which she had landed. She noticed Jay doing the same. In one hand, he held his gun, pointing into the darkness with its flashlight beaming bravely; in the other, he held the case containing the anti-virus.

"I know," Buffy said.

"It's really a captivating story," Faith continued. "Mystery, intrigue, romance. Worth hearing one day."

"I promise, no more vents," Buffy swore.

Faith tried to brush off the coating of grime sticking to her clothes with no avail. Frowning, she shook her head. "Of course, there's also that story about how I hate zombies."

"I have one of those too," Jay commented as Spike lowered himself out of the vent and onto the floor with an audible thud.

"You know, sometimes I think I should have just stayed in that cell," the bleach blonde vampire grumbled. "Life would have been a lot easier."

"Not when B rescues the only people who cared enough to feed you," Faith interjected. "The last time I checked, we weren't planning to rescue all of the vampires."

"We're not rescuing anymore vampires, are we?" Jay asked desperately.

"No," Buffy replied, smiling reassuringly at the soldier, "we're not rescuing anymore vampires."

"Thank God," he muttered.

"Nice to know that you care," Spike shot back.

"I don't," Jay shrugged. "At least, not about your kind."

Diego landed next to Spike and straightened himself to his full height. "You know, if you two keep bickering like this, it could give somebody the wrong idea."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Spike asked angrily.

"You fight like an old married couple," Faith said plainly. "Someone might start to think that you actually like each other."

"Preposterous," Spike replied.

"What he said," Jay nodded. "I don't like vampires."

"And I don't like humans," Spike added.

"And, unlike you two," Jay said, looking back and forth between Buffy and Faith, "I'm not gay."

"Nor am I," Spike concluded.

"I guess that's settled then," Faith laughed.

"I guess so," Spike said huffily.

"Well, we're in the stairwell, B," Faith said. "What do we do now?"

"What level are we on?" Buffy asked, glancing around in the dark.

Diego clicked on the beam of the flashlight attached to his gun. The light danced through the stairwell as he looked for a sign. "Looks like sublevel two," he replied as the light fell upon a large, red-painted two on the wall.

"One level to climb until we reach the main floor," Buffy stated. "No time like the present." Moving forward, she started climbing the stairs. Faith followed after her. Jay fell in line behind the dark haired Slayer. Diego followed after him and Spike brought up the rear.

"I was thinking," Spike announced.

"Great," Faith muttered.

"What were you thinking Spike?" Buffy rolled her eyes.

"We have this anti-virus," Spike continued, ignoring Faith. "Why not just use it on each of us now to protect ourselves from the zombies? Or, use it on all of you, seeing as to how I'm not sure a zombie bite would actually affect me."

"It doesn't work like that," Jay replied. "It's not a preventative medicine. It's only designed to be used to cure infection _after_ infection."

"How do we know that?" Spike asked.

"That's how it was explained to us when we volunteered for the mission," Diego said.

"It wasn't explained to me," Faith countered.

"Not everything was," Diego smiled. "They may have let you come with us, but that doesn't mean that they trust you. When they were trying to recruit volunteers for the mission, they explained what the anti-virus was. You weren't there."

"The anti-virus can't help us unless we get bit or scratched," Jay finished. "That's just the way it works."

"There's another problem though," Diego said suddenly.

"What's that?" Buffy asked warily.

"Well, we have enough samples of the anti-virus to cure all of us should we need it and we have enough extras to satisfy the government. But it's all in that case," Diego explained. "What happens if we lose Jay?"

"We're not losing Jay," Jay replied. "Jay is going to be just fine."

"Of course you are," Faith said reassuringly. "But we do need a back up plan in case you're not."

"One person shouldn't be holding all of the anti-virus," Diego added, "that's all I'm saying."

"He's got a point," Jay admitted.

"So we split it up," Buffy said. "We each take one in case we need it and we split the extras until there's none left."

"At least that way, if we don't al survive, someone will have the anti-virus to take out of Sunnydale," Diego commented. Jay nodded and opened the case. The group gathered around him as he handed out vials of the anti-virus until none remained to distribute. Discarding it the case, he shoved his vials into his pants pockets. The others did the same.

"Listen," Buffy said seriously. "I'm not going to lose anyone else down here. I promise you that. Everyone will survive this. I know it seems like we're facing insurmountable odds. I mean, there's a horde of zombies out there in that main room just waiting for something to eat. They're hungry – ravenous. And so far as we know, those two people trapped in that hallway, and all of us, are the only ones left alive in this place. I think the zombies know that. They're going to be gunning for us. But we can survive this. I know we can."

"I think you could have left out the part about the zombies being ravenous, B," Faith whispered over to the blonde Slayer. "In fact, you may want to work on the whole inspirational speech thing in general."

"I didn't think it was so bad," Jay said.

"It could have used some work in the middle," Diego critiqued.

"Guys?" Buffy asked.

"What?" Diego and Jay replied at the same time.

"What I mean is this: I'm the Slayer…well, _a_ Slayer," she said, smiling over at Faith, "It's my job to protect you. No matter what the odds, no matter what we're facing, I'm going to do my job. It may be truly terrifying in there, but I won't let you down."

"Me neither," Faith added.

"Oh for God sakes," Spike muttered. "Can we get on with it please? I can sense that we're two seconds away from a group hug here and I have to tell you, I'm not enjoying the prospect."

"Always a downer," Faith joked.

"We're here," Buffy announced. The group collectively stopped walking and examined the door standing before them. They could hear the moaning of the zombies on the other side. The sound chilled the blonde Slayer to the bones. Shuddering, she turned to face the group. "Is everyone ready for this?"

"No," Diego shook his head.

"Not in the least," Jay added.

"I'm always ready for a little death and mayhem," Spike grinned.

"Of course you are," Faith rolled her eyes.

"What about you?" Buffy asked, turning to her lover.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Faith replied.

"What about us not being ready?" Jay asked jokingly.

"I really wasn't asking to get an actual answer from you two," Buffy joked in return.

"We're expendable," Jay whispered over to Diego.

"You maybe," Diego replied with a smile.

"When I open this door, all of the zombies in that room are going to come for us," Buffy explained, moving over to the number pad. Grabbing her gun from the waistband of her jeans, she rested her finger on the trigger. "We can't fall back though. We have to charge in there and show them that we're not afraid."

"We need to maintain a constant barrage of covering fire," Diego added. "Don't let them get close to us."

Jay lifted his gun, pointing it at the door. His eyes were fixed and focused. Diego followed suit, quickly crossing himself. Faith watched the two soldiers. She knew that they were both terrified, as was she. But she knew that they would overcome their fear. However, she was not so certain about herself. She looked over at Spike and smiled warily. "Here," she said, handing him a gun. "Can't very well let you go in there unarmed, can we?" Spike accepted the weapon and nodded his gratitude. Raising her gun, Faith flashed Buffy a smile to cover the anxiety residing in her eyes. Buffy nodded and turned her attention to the number pad. Typing in a series of numbers, she hesitated before entering the last. "Remember, don't let them push us back," she advised as she keyed in the last number.

The doors slid open seamlessly and silently, like a shark gliding through the ocean. Buffy felt a brush of air strike her face as the metal parted, then the smell of rot reached her nostrils. The main room was filled with zombies in various stages of decay. Though Buffy had smelled death before, as her duties as a Slayer often led her into strange situations, she never had experienced such an overwhelming sense of devastation. At first, the zombies seemed not to notice the opened doors. However, a pair of yellowing eyes turned and saw the collection of four living beings, and Spike, and stopped its endless, hungry pacing. A loud groan issued forth from its mouth and the rest of the zombies stopped in their tracks.

"Showtime," Faith muttered, lowering her eyes so that she was not peering into those yellow orbs that seemed to hypnotize her with fear. Bursts of gunfire rang out through the room as the group pushed forward, straight into the horde of zombies.

"Best defense is a good offense," Diego muttered as he aimed his gun and pulled the trigger. The head of a nearby zombie blew apart in a shower of red.

"Follow me!" Buffy shouted above the din of gunfire and the angry hisses of the zombies. The group advanced toward a door, behind which waited Kate and Paul. The zombies pushed back, momentarily surprised by the barrage of gunfire. But they recovered. Closing into a tight bunch, the zombies began to press forward.

Faith set her lips grimly as the zombies formed a circle around them and muttered, "So not good."


	17. Surrounded

Animatus II: The Descent

Previously:

"Follow me!" Buffy shouted above the din of gunfire and the angry hisses of the zombies. The group advanced toward a door, behind which waited Kate and Paul. The zombies pushed back, momentarily surprised by the barrage of gunfire. But they recovered. Closing into a tight bunch, the zombies began to press forward.

Faith set her lips grimly as the zombies formed a circle around them and muttered, "So not good."

Chapter Sixteen: Surrounded:

Faith was beginning to realize that she needed to pay more attention to her dreams. When she had dreamed of Buffy's goodbye at the perimeter fence surrounding Sunnydale, she had not thought that it would come true. Even when Buffy had been bitten, Faith had not associated the event with her dream until well after, when she was safely inside the army compound outside of town and had been given the opportunity to think. She had known that Slayers occasionally were given prophetic dreams by the Powers that Be, but she had not expected to be on the receiving end of any, considering that her actions in helping the Mayor had placed her contrary to the Powers that Be for a considerable amount of time. Though she knew that she was on the path to righteousness again, she still thought of herself as the dark Slayer, the rogue, or the one second best to Buffy. She knew that both she and Buffy were Slayers, both important in the grand scheme of things, but she could not shake the feeling that Buffy was, perhaps, more important. After all, the older girl had cheated death once and had narrowly escaped becoming a zombie. Someone was looking out for her.

Faith could not feel the same about herself. Bad things seemed to happen to her; yet, good things rarely followed. Buffy was the only beacon of hope in her life and Buffy's love had not been easy to win. They had traveled a rocky and tumultuous road before finally joining together at the end. Faith often wondered what lay ahead for them on that road, or if they would even be given the chance to discern it for themselves. As Faith stood in the main room of the Initiative, surrounded by zombies, and choking on the haze of smoke rising in the air, she wondered if they would survive the night, or day. Faith did not know whether the sun was shining over Sunnydale. She felt like she had been trapped underground forever. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel the sun shining on her face, warming her skin, and reminding her that life was still moving in the world outside.

She had lost sight of Buffy. The zombies had surrounded them and they had started firing into the crowd. Through the shield of smoke covering the room, Faith could see little, even with her Slayer sight. The sound of gunfire rang perpetually in her ears. Vaguely, she worried that she might become deaf if the shooting did not end. The gun in her hands vibrated and jerked as she shot into the crowd of zombies closing in around her. The group had become separated. Faith was not certain the direction of the door to which they had been heading. She had spun herself around and everything looked the same. She could not see Jay or Diego. She heard their guns. She saw blood rising into the air with each bullet that pierced the flesh of the living dead. But she saw no one else through the crowd and she was starting to panic.

Reaching the room itself was proving to be more difficult than Faith had imagined. Though she had known that it would be challenging, she did not expect to encounter such fierce resistance from the zombies. They were not afraid of the guns. Though the bullets were tearing them down, they continued to advance. They were so hungry that the thought of permanent death did not deter them, if they even had the capability to think of such things. Instead, they pushed forward, their ravenous eyes locked on her as she shot them down. When she had been required to stop to reload, they made the most progress. She almost had felt their decaying fingers gripping at her skin. When she had looked up, they had been far closer than she had liked. Firing a hole through the zombies in front of her, she had moved past them, closer to what she thought was the door. But now as she stood in the midst of a sea of enemies, she found herself completely lost.

She pulled the trigger to an empty click and she knew that she needed to reload again. Grabbing an extra cartridge from her belt, she let the used one drop to the floor, and shoved the new one into place. Before she could lift her gun again, the icy fingers of a rotting zombie clamped onto her arm. Her eyes rose and met the yellowed orbs of a dead man who looked to have been in his mid-twenties before his life was so cruelly cut short. His skin was rotting and sagging off of his face, revealing his skull and jagged teeth. Faith felt herself stop breathing as she gazed into his eyes. Fear was taking hold of her again. Her heart pounded thunderously in her chest, filling her mind with its erratic rhythm. The zombie tightened its grip, leaning forward to catch a mouthful of her skin. As if coming out of a daze, Faith yanked her arm backward, pulling it from the zombie's grasp. Raising her gun, she fired two shots through his head. His skull exploded, pieces of skin and fragments of bone careened through the air, landing on everything around him.

But Faith knew that she had reacted too late. Already the other zombies were reaching for her. She was trapped. The thought of being eaten alive repulsed her immensely. Shuddering as she imagined the feel of the zombies' teeth gnawing through her skin, she fired wildly into the crowd. A zombie grabbed her from behind and she turned, slamming her elbow into its face. She felt its nose break under the pressure and a squirt of blood trickled down its chin. But she lost her balance in the process and found herself crashing to the ground. She slammed into the cold concrete, the air driven from her lungs, and she stared up into the faces of death. She suddenly realized that she had reached the end. Every Slayer died. She knew that. Throughout history, Slayers had died horrible deaths. She had not imagined that hers would come so soon. Though she had harbored no illusions about dying peacefully in old age, she secretly had hoped that she would meet her end in such a fashion. But as the zombies gathered around her, eying their prey hungry, she realized that she had been hoping in vain.

"Faith!" She heard a voice call above the moaning of the zombies and the gunfire bursting through the air. "Get your ass off the ground!" Straining to see through the smoke, Faith caught sight of a glimmer of blonde hair rushing toward her.

"Buffy?" She asked confusedly.

"Get up!" Buffy commanded again. A barrage of bullets hailed upon the zombies standing directly in front of Faith. They fell in a heap of blood and the zombies behind her began to back away. Rising shakily to her feet, Faith lifted her gun and shot into the crowd behind her. The zombies fell and, finally, she stood safely in a clearing. She felt someone grab her arm, and, turning, she saw Buffy standing next to her, gazing at her worriedly. "What the hell was that?" She asked.

"I-I don't know," Faith stammered.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked again, gripping her arm as she dragged the younger Slayer through the crowd. "You got separated from us. We couldn't see you over the smoke, but I caught sight of you just before you fell."

"I froze up," Faith tried to explain. "I don't know what it is about them," she motioned to the zombies, "but when I'm around them it's like I can't breathe."

"It's okay," Buffy reassured her.

"I thought I was dead," Faith admitted.

"You're not," Buffy smiled back at her.

"You don't understand," Faith insisted. "I thought I was dead and I didn't care. I didn't try to fight it. I was just going to let it happen."

"Faith," Buffy said gently as she pulled her toward a door, at which Diego, Spike, and Jay were waiting, warding off the zombies with sporadic gunfire. "I do know what you mean. I felt the same way when the Master killed me. But you have to remember," she said, turning to face her, and gently caressing her cheek with the back of her hand, "you have something to live for now."

"Yeah?" Faith asked, gazing deeply into Buffy's emerald eyes. "What's that?"

"Me," Buffy smiled.

"Oh, right," Faith rolled her eyes. "How could I forget?"

"I really have no idea," Buffy joked. "You know that everything has to be about me."

Faith breathed an audile sigh of relief when she stood again with her comrades, protected by their ring of gunfire and the door guarding her back. Jay glanced over at her and smiled lopsidedly. "There you are," he said, "we thought we lost you for a second there. Never did like to play with others, did you?"

"Can't say I did," Faith admitted. She watched as Buffy moved over to the number pad next to the door. Punching in a code, Buffy smiled when the door slide open.

"Inside people," she instructed.

The group backed into the room collectively and the door slid shut. "Thank God," Diego muttered as he lowered his gun. "I thought we were dead meat out there."

"Keep in mind that we have to go back out there, mate," Spike reminded him.

"Shut up, Spike," Faith muttered, running a shaky hand through her long, dark hair.

"Someone a little shaken up?" Spike grinned.

"Don't mess with me right now, Spike," Faith growled.

"Why's that, Slayer?" Spike asked.

"Because I might just shoot your ass," she shot back.

"People," a new voice interrupted, "bickering only excites the animals." Faith looked up to see a man and woman standing before them, both with tiny smirks gracing their haggard features.

"You must be Kate and Paul," Diego commented.

"That we are," Paul spoke again. "You know," he continued, looking at Buffy, "when you said that you were going to come back for us, I really didn't believe you."

"No offense," Kate added quickly.

"None taken," Buffy smiled. "I wouldn't have expected me to come back either. But, here we are."

"And you're cured?" Kate asked interestedly.

"Completely," Buffy confirmed.

"Amazing," Kate commented.

"Not to agree with the vampire or anything," Paul interjected, "but he had a point. How do you expect to get us out of here? I mean, from the looks of it, you barely got in."

"See?" Spike said haughtily, "I had a point."

"Why did you have to tell him that?" Jay groaned. "We'll never hear the end of it."

"He _is_ right," Buffy admitted. "It was no walk in the park getting in here."

Faith sighed and began to wander down the hallway as the rest of the group discussed their various ideas for escape. Faith thought that they all sounded like suicide. She did not relish the prospect of charging back out into that horde of zombies with guns blazing. Though it had worked the first time, she doubted if it would succeed again. The zombies were aware of their capabilities now. They knew that they had guns and the guns had not scared them. Faith past numerous holding cells as she wandered down the corridor, each containing one or two vampires. She imagined that those vampires more inclined to aggressive behavior had been given private cells, but that some had to be given roommates in order to keep the Initiative from overflowing.

She wondered why Paul and Kate had bothered keeping the vampires alive. Even though they appeared human, they were completely demon. She imagined that their appearance alone was enough to convince the two Initiative employees to try to save them. A compassionate person would have had difficulty watching something that appeared so human starve to death. Faith paused in front of one of the cells and gazed at the two vampires sitting within it. They both looked bored. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"I know how we can get out of here," Faith announced, her eyes never straying from the vampires sitting within the cell.

"How?" Buffy asked.

"We use them," she nodded toward the vampires. "How many of them are in this hallway?" She asked, turning to Kate.

"About thirty," Kate answered.

"I'm sure they don't want to be left down here with no food," Faith said loudly enough for all of the vampires to hear. "We send these thirty vampires out before us. They can fight with the zombies and we can slip out unnoticed, or at least, with a little more help than we had slipping in."

"That's not a bad idea," Spike commented.

"Thanks," Faith rolled her eyes, "I'm so glad I have your support."

"I thought we weren't freeing all of the vampires?" Diego asked nervously.

"If I could," one of the vampires interrupted, rising to his feet. Faith glanced over at him. "I don't want to be stuck down here and I heard what you said before," he motioned to Spike. "If they can't hurt us," he said in reference to the zombies, "than I've got nothing to worry about going out there. I don't particularly give a shit about any of you, but if you don't stand in my way of getting out of here, I'll fight those damn things all night."

"See?" Faith grinned. "He's in."

Buffy nodded and smiled slightly. "I think it's a good idea, Faith," she replied.

"You do?" Faith asked.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded. "What about you guys?"

"I just want to get out of here," Paul shrugged.

"It's fine with me," Kate replied.

"They could be of help," Jay admitted.

"Diego?" Buffy asked.

Diego sighed and smiled warily. "Let's free the bastards," he agreed begrudgingly.

Buffy turned back to her girlfriend and flashed her an approving grin. "Looks like we've got a plan."


	18. The Escape

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Sorry for all of the delays lately, but I've been suffering from a stomach flu that wouldn't go away. All better now and ready to write. Anyway, I think this will be wrapping up soon. I have another story in mind to post when I'm done with this one.

Previously: The Escape:

"I know how we can get out of here," Faith announced, her eyes never straying from the vampires sitting within the cell.

"How?" Buffy asked.

"We use them," she nodded toward the vampires.

Chapter Seventeen:

"Faith," Buffy said, pulling the younger girl to the side, "I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Okay," Faith replied rather reluctantly, her brow furrowing with concern as she followed the blonde Slayer. "What's up, B?" She asked.

"I need to know something," Buffy whispered, gazing deeply into her lover's eyes.

"What?" Faith inquired further.

"I need to know that when we go out there again, you're not going to freeze up," Buffy explained. "I see what happened out there before. The way you were looking at those zombies. It reminded me of something."

"What did it remind you of?" Faith asked, though she feared that she already knew the answer.

"When Kakistos tried to kill you," Buffy stated. She clearly remembered the panicked expression in Faith's eyes when the ancient vampire broke into her motel room so many months ago. "You had that same look…like you were paralyzed with fear. You didn't know what to do. Well, you get that look when you see the zombies. You don't know what to do."

"I know," Faith muttered, looking down at the ground.

"I need to know that you're going to stay with me out there," Buffy repeated. "We've been through so much, Faith, and we're so close to getting out of here. I can't do this without you," she said tearfully. "The whole time I was trying to get in here," she continued, "I kept thinking about you. I was doing this for you."

"Buffy," Faith attempted to interrupt, but the older girl shook her head.

"I need us to be together," Buffy murmured, stepping forward, reaching up, and gently caressing the dark haired Slayer's cheek. "I love you so much," she whispered. "After all that we've been through, this can't be the end. So I need to know that you're not going to let them take you. I need to know that we're getting out of here together."

"I know that I have this tendency to freeze up when shit really hits the fan," Faith admitted. "But I can tell you this much," she continued, "there's nothing I want more in the world than to get out of here and spend the rest of my life with you. I'm gonna be okay out there."

"You sure?" Buffy asked concernedly.

"I'm sure," Faith nodded. "I'm not gonna lie, it's terrifying out there. But I can handle this."

"Just remember," Buffy advised. "We're Slayers. Those zombies…they don't have anything on us."

"Hot chicks with superpowers," Faith grinned. "That's us."

"Damn straight," Buffy replied. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Listen up," Faith announced, drawing everyone's attention. "Here's the deal. I know that not everyone is happy with this plan." Diego shuffled his feet at her words. "But I don't see any other way of getting out of here. If you have another suggestion, speak up."

Silence filled the hallway as the group collectively glanced around at each other. When no one else spoke, Buffy began. "We're going to release the vampires first. And in case any of our blood sucking friends gets the wrong idea," Buffy spoke loudly, "all of you are chipped. That means that you can't hurt any human being. You can't bite us. As long as you're as harmless as a bunch of bunnies, you're not going to get staked."

"Bunnies…a bad analogy, B," Faith interrupted.

"What?" Buffy asked confusedly.

"Bunnies," Faith repeated. "Not so harmless according to some," she concluded in reference to Anya's perpetual fear of rabbits. Though Faith only had known Anya for a short time, the two had created a friendship that Faith sorely missed following the ex-vengeance demon's death.

"Okay," Buffy breathed. "Not bunnies then. Kittens, is that better, Faith?" She asked amusedly.

"Works for me," Faith nodded.

"The vampires are as harmless as kittens to us," Buffy concluded.

"I'm allergic to cats," Jay interjected.

"Oh for god sakes," Buffy sighed. "I think everyone understands what I mean."

"Troops seem to be keen on the back talking," Spike laughed.

"Shut up," Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Remember, Slayer," Spike replied. "We had a deal. I help you, you help me. We get out there, I want to know that you're not going to stop me from escaping."

"I remember our deal, Spike," Buffy ground out. "I'm not going to stop you. The sun might though. We don't know if it's day or night."

"And you better not start any shit, either," Faith noted. "I'm not above shooting your ass if I think you're trying to prevent us from escaping."

"I'm a good, little dog now, remember?" Spike reminded her.

"Is everyone else clear on what's going down?" Buffy asked. The vampires issued a collective grunt of approval and Buffy looked over to Kate. "Open their doors."

"You're sure?" Kate asked.

"I'm sure," Buffy confirmed.

"Doors opening," she stated as she flipped a switch. The doors containing the holding cells slowly opened and the vampires stepped out, many for the first time in ages. Some stretched, others cracked their knuckles, all of them ready to fight the zombies waiting for them on the other side of the blast doors separating the residents of the hallway from the rest of the Initiative.

"I don't particularly like being surrounded by all these vampires," Faith muttered under her breath.

"Goes against everything in us," Buffy agreed.

"But sometimes you have to make compromises for the greater good," Faith said.

"And hopefully this works," Buffy concluded.

"If not, we just let loose a whole lot of hell," Faith muttered.

"Time's right, Slayer," Spike prompted. "We gonna get out there to kick some ass or not?"

"We are," Buffy confirmed. "Vampires," she said politely, "would you please move to the front of the line."

The vampires moved forward until they were pressing against the metal door. Diego and Jay moved to the back, where Paul, Kate, Buffy, and Faith were standing. Spike remained at the front, standing by the keypad next to the door. "You're sure that we can trust them?" Diego asked warily.

"No," Faith admitted.

"But they're our only chance," Buffy stated. "If we want to get out of here, we'll need to trust them. Or, at least work with them."

"Ready to open the door?" Spike asked impatiently. "What's the code?"

"3…8…2…9…0...1...6…3," Buffy repeated from memory.

Spike nodded and punched in the code as Buffy spoke. The metal doors slid open, revealing the room full of zombies waiting on the other side. The vampires looked at each other and charged, emitting a collective battle cry as they ran. Meeting the zombies head on, they fought as the rest of the group slipped out of Section D. They hugged the walls, avoiding the zombies that were too preoccupied with the charging vampires to care about them. "Here's the plan, guys," Buffy said softly. "There's a stairwell across the room," she pointed to a door. "It leads to the outside. We reach that stairwell, we're out."

"Let's go then," Diego replied determinedly.

The group pressed forward. Any zombie that strayed toward them, one of the soldiers, or Buffy or Faith, put a bullet through its head. They had circled halfway around the main room of the Initiative when the zombies began to notice their presence with greater numbers. The charging vampires had taken them by surprise initially, but the surprise had abated. The vampires were pressing their way toward the exit as well, though slowly, and Buffy worried that they might not reach the door before the zombies decided that they did not like the taste of vampire meat. The zombies charged them and they fired back. Running toward the door, the sound of gunfire echoed behind them. Though Faith could feel her fear threatening to stop her footsteps, she continued running.

She could see Buffy in front of her. The Slayer's golden hair shimmered under the light of the flashlight attached to the scope of Faith's rifle. Despite the fear threatening to overwhelm her, Faith knew what she wanted. From the moment that she had first seen Buffy, she had known that she had wanted the older woman. Her feelings had evolved into love and into hate. But through it all, she always had loved the other Slayer. Though she had ruined many of her chances with Buffy in the past, she was determined to form a future with her lover. A future meant that she had to survive her escape from the Initiative. The Powers that Be had given her a second chance and she was going to fight for it.

The zombies crowded around them, but they did not stop. As they ran, they maintained a pocket of space between them and the zombies through the continuous barrage of gunfire that lit up the room. The zombies hovered around them in the dark, waiting for a moment of weakness to strike, but they did not give them a moment to attack. Finally, they reached the door. Throwing it open, Buffy led the charge up the stairs. When Jay past through the door, he slammed it shut behind them. His action would only delay the zombies momentarily, but he hoped that those seconds would give them a chance to flee into the night unnoticed by the horde following after them. "Keep running!" Buffy instructed. "We're almost there."

"Man, I just want to get out of here," Diego muttered. Buffy led the group, followed by Faith. Jay and Diego brought up the rear, with Kate and Paul sandwiched between them.

"Don't we all," Faith muttered in reply. Their footsteps echoed up the stairwell. Behind them, Faith heard the clanging of the door busting off of its hinges. More footsteps began to pour up the stairs.

"We got company!" Jay yelled.

"Haul ass!" Diego commanded. "I'm not getting stuck down here when freedom is only a few more steps away."

From the lead position, Buffy could see the vertical ladder they would have to climb looming before her. Once she reached it, she gripped the cold metal rungs in her hands and propelled herself toward the surface. She felt Faith grab the ladder behind her. Buffy reached the surface and pulled herself onto the floor of the shed. She could feel the cool, night air strike her face and she smiled. Moving out of the way, she helped Faith out as well. Kate and Paul followed her out with Diego climbing up behind them. Finally, Jay reached the surface.

"We're out," Diego stated with relief. "I can't believe we're actually out."

"We gotta keep moving," Faith said. "We're still not safe."

"Where are we going to go?" Kate asked.

"I know a place," Buffy said. "I think Faith knows of it too. We can stay the night there and leave Sunnydale in the morning."

"It's not safe traveling at night," Jay explained. "That's why it would be better for us to find some place to bed down for the night."

"Where are you thinking, B?" Faith asked curiously.

"The roof of the sporting goods store," Buffy grinned. "I stayed there my first night here alone."

"How romantic," Diego joked.

"We'll go there," Buffy said, ignoring the soldier as she led the others out of the shed and into the night. The stars shone above them brightly. A gentle breeze moved the tree branches. As they ran stealthily through the night, Faith looked up into the sky and smiled with hope. Glancing back at the shed, she thought she saw the glimmer of bleach blonde hair running through the night in the opposite direction. Though she did not like Spike, she was glad that he had found freedom. No one deserved to be imprisoned within the desecrated and bloodied walls of the Initiative.


	19. The Whispers You Try to Ignore

Animatus II: The Descent:

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming! I'm going to be wrapping this story up shortly. Afterward, I'll start posting the third part of the Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow series.

Previously:

The stars shone above them brightly. A gentle breeze moved the tree branches. As they ran stealthily through the night, Faith looked up into the sky and smiled with hope. Glancing back at the shed, she thought she saw the glimmer of bleach blonde hair running through the night in the opposite direction. Though she did not like Spike, she was glad that he had found freedom. No one deserved to be imprisoned within the desecrated and bloodied walls of the Initiative.

Chapter Eighteen: The Whispers You Try to Ignore:

Faith felt like she was walking through the past as she entered the sporting goods store on Sunnydale's Main Street. The decomposing body of the zombie girl that she had shot still rested on the floor. For a brief moment, she felt as though the time that had past since she had first stepped into the store had been nothing but a nightmare and that she really was reliving all of her experiences again. But the warmth of Buffy's hand sliding into her own reminded her that Liz and Joyce were dead and that many days had past since the three women had escaped to the Bronze. "You okay?" Buffy whispered concernedly.

"Yeah," Faith sighed. "I just can't wait to blow this town."

"I know what you mean," Buffy agreed. Though she had made a home in Sunnydale, that home had been destroyed when her mother had died. She had found a new home in Faith.

The group collectively shuffled to the ladder leading to the roof. Ascending it, they spread out under the night sky, eager to sleep away the fatigue that had settled on their limbs and eager to see the rising of the new day's sun. They had ran through the darkness of the forest and back to the road that Buffy had walked several days before, anxious that the zombies that had been residing in the Initiative had followed them up the stairs and out into the world. At every turn, with every noise, their guns rose, their fear escalated, and their exhaustion mounted. Adrenaline had been the only thing flowing through their veins and they were crashing.

They had reached the sporting goods store with little disturbance. The zombies still roamed the streets of Sunnydale, moaning their discontent and hunger. But less of the living dead wandered through the town than had before and Faith wondered if they were not starting to succumb to starvation. The zombies that they had seen seemed more sluggish than Faith remembered. Their lean frames sunk into their bones and their arms hung heavily down at their sides. At times, they seemed to be tripping down the street rather than walking, propelled only by some instinctual desire to stay in motion. Faith had wondered how long it would take for the zombies to starve to death. Their only source of sustenance was human flesh, but the human population of Sunnydale had dwindled to zero, save the group of six resting under the night sky.

Faith sat with a sigh and placed her gun carefully on the roof next to her. Buffy was gathering some blankets for them across the roof. When Faith, Joyce, and Liz had left the roof, they had discarded their sleeping bags and most of their blankets, preferring to travel lightly. They still remained on the roof and were quickly divided amongst the group. Buffy returned with two blankets and busied herself stretching them out as Faith gazed up into the starlight sky. Her eyelids felt heavy as she stared into the heavens. She wondered if any of her friends were staring back down at her.

"You seem deep in thought," Buffy remarked, sitting down beside her lover.

"I guess I am," Faith mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, lightly touching the younger girl's hand.

Faith smiled crookedly and laced her fingers with the blonde Slayer's. "Nothing," she shook her head. "I just can't help thinking about all of the people we've lost."

"My mom," Buffy commented. "Xander."

"Anya, Liz, and Mark," Faith continued. "Not to mention half the people that lived in this town. Shit, maybe more than that."

"I feel guilty sometimes," Buffy admitted, "because I haven't let myself grieve for them. I mean, my mom died in front of me and I haven't even really cried about it. And Xander," she sighed, "he was like a brother to me."

"You haven't had time to grieve, B," Faith reminded her gently. "We've all been on the run."

"I know," Buffy acknowledged. "I still feel bad."

"I think your mom and Xander would just be happy that you're still alive," Faith replied, looking over at the older girl.

"What about you?" Buffy asked.

Faith sighed and glanced back up into the sky. "To be honest," she stated, "I miss Anya. I never thought I'd hear myself say that, but I do. She was a good friend. You know, ever since I woke up from my coma," she said, noticing how Buffy shifted uncomfortably, "I've been on the run. I haven't stopped. Not really. It feels weird to be so close to the end…like I can finally rest."

"Have I mentioned how sorry I am about that whole coma thing?" Buffy asked sheepishly.

"Have I mentioned how sorry I am for trying to kill you and all of your friends?" Faith asked dryly.

"I guess we're even, huh?" Buffy laughed.

"I think so," Faith nodded. "I just can't wait to get out of here. We need a serious vacation, B."

"No vampires, no demons," Buffy said wistfully.

"Most importantly," Faith added, "no zombies."

"Yeah," the blonde Slayer nodded enthusiastically. "If I never see a zombie again, it'll still be too soon."

Faith grinned and glanced back at Buffy. "I never thought that I'd be here with you, you know?" She asked thoughtfully. "I had dreamed about it. But I never thought it would actually happen."

"Faith," Buffy said seriously, cupping her girlfriend's cheek, "I love you. You know that, right?"

"I know," Faith said, leaning into Buffy's touch. The older girl leaned forward, capturing Faith's bottom lip and running her tongue across the sensitive skin, begging for entrance into her mouth. Faith parted her lips, her tongue meeting Buffy's in a passionate duel. When the kiss ended, Faith pressed her lips to Buffy's forehead and whispered, "I love you too, B."

"We should get some sleep," Buffy suggested. "Need to be up early tomorrow."

"Oh the day that I can sleep in," Faith grumbled. "I wish it would come sooner."

"I know what you mean," Buffy smiled, lying down on her blanket. The blonde Slayer closed her eyes, her breathing falling into the even rhythm of sleep almost instantaneously. Faith grinned and shook her head, glancing back up into the sky. Though she was tired, she felt the need to watch over Buffy as she slept. She had spent much of her time on the roof protecting Joyce and Liz. Though she knew that Buffy could take care of herself, she could not bring herself to close her eyes. She surveyed the rest of the group. Diego and Jay were asleep near the ladder that led up to the roof, their guns cradled in their arms. Faith smiled, knowing that they had positioned themselves there purposefully in case any zombies tried to enter.

Kate and Paul were asleep next to each other, a few feet away from the sleeping soldiers, lying atop the sleeping bags. Faith sighed and laid down on her blanket, her hands behind her head. The moon was bursting above her, its yellow light casting a glow down on the roof. For a moment, she forgot entirely about the zombies moaning on the street below her and the horrors that she had seen while in the Initiative. The cool, night air caressed her face, wrapping her in its comforting embrace as she lay next to her lover. The stars twinkled with hope and Faith found herself smiling at the thought that in a short time she would be joining the rest of her friends in Los Angeles. She wondered what Giles, Tara, and Willow had been doing while she had been scouring the Initiative for the anti-virus.

Though Faith's relationship with Willow had been rocky after their reunion in the college dorms, Willow had accepted Faith as time wore on and the dark haired Slayer had proven herself. After Buffy's death, she and the witch had bonded over their mutual grief. She wondered how Giles was dealing with working with Angel. She knew that the two men had a history of violence and anger, but she knew from personal experience that Giles was a forgiving person. But she still had a hard time imagining the Watcher working side by side with a vampire. She had to admit that the thought of working with Angel, though intriguing, weighed heavily on her. She knew that Angel was doing good down in Los Angeles by helping the helpless and she wanted to be a part of that. But she could not help but wonder what would happen reuniting Buffy with her former love. Though she trusted the blonde Slayer, she did not want to stir up any unresolved feelings. Further, she had never liked Angel and the thought of working with a vampire seemed to go against everything in her as a Slayer.

However, she had trusted Spike and the rest of the chipped vampires down in the depths of the Initiative. Despite her misgivings, the vampires had lived up to their word and so had Spike. Sighing, she tried to drive all thoughts of Angel out of her mind, but she knew that if Willow, Tara, and Giles were happy in Los Angeles, she and Buffy would be staying there as well. Looking over at her sleeping girlfriend, she smiled slightly. She knew that she had to stop listening to the nagging doubts that lingered in her mind. They had gotten her into trouble before; she had doubted her friendship with Buffy, she had doubted herself, and she had ended up working for a demon. She realized that she needed to start accepting the things that she knew to be real and ignoring the whisperings in the back of her mind. She knew that Buffy loved her and, whatever happened after their escape from Sunnydale, she knew that Buffy would still love her.

Despite her desire to remain awake, she found her eyelids dropping. She struggled for a few minutes to remain in control of her consciousness, but eventually she succumbed to sleep. She greeted the oblivion warmly. Her fatigued muscles and exhausted mind relished the darkness. The darkness morphed into images that crashed through Faith's consciousness, finally taking shape. She dreamed that she was lying on the roof of the sporting goods store. The sun had just risen over the horizon in an amazing display of red and orange. Slowly awakening from a deep sleep, she stretched, and sat up. Before her mind her cleared, she noticed that something was wrong. Though Sunnydale had become eerily quiet since the zombie invasion, Faith could not hear anything except the rustling of the leaves as the breeze blew through the tree branches.

Glancing around, she realized in a moment of complete panic that was alone on the roof. Quickly rising to her feet, she whirled around, surveying her surroundings. She could not see any trace of the others. It was almost as if they had not been there in the first place. "Buffy?" She called nervously. "Buffy, where are you?" She yelled. Silence greeted her ears. Her heart pounded in her chest, threatening to break free. "Diego?" She called. "Jay? Kate? Paul?" No one answered her. Running over to the ledge, she peered below, but the streets were empty. "Hello?" She shouted. "Is anyone there?" Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she called out for the others, only to be surrounded by silence and a loneliness that she had not felt since she had awoken from her coma and into a nightmare. "Buffy?" She whispered tearfully. "Where did you go?" She was alone and she was scared.

As the sun began to creep over the horizon, Faith's eyes fluttered open. Blinking away sleep, she stretched and sat up. She glanced over at Buffy's blanket, but noticed that the older girl was no longer lying in it. Panic flared in her heart as she remembered her dream and she lifted her eyes to search the roof, relieved when she saw Buffy standing a few feet away, laughing with Diego and Jay. "Shit," she muttered, laughing at her pounding heart. Buffy looked over at her, cocking her head to the side with a concerned look on her face, but Faith waved away her girlfriend's anxiety. "I'm okay," she mouthed and Buffy smiled.

Rising to her feet, she grabbed her gun and slung it on her shoulder by its tattered strap. "Morning," Jay greeted Faith as she walked over to them.

"Hey," Faith replied, noticing that Kate and Paul were just starting to wake up as well. "Glad I didn't oversleep the party."

"I don't know about the rest of you," Jay said, "but I can't wait to get out of here."

"We still have to be careful," Diego warned. "No use getting ourselves killed this close to home."

"I agree," Buffy said. "We have to go about this sensibly. We have to stay on guard. The zombies may be slowing down," she noted, "but they're still formidable opponents, especially when they realize that we're their only food left."

"We need to stay out of sight," Jay concluded. Kate and Paul joined them, both looking refreshed from the night of undisturbed sleep. As Faith looked around at each person gathered before her, she noted that they all looked exceedingly better now that they had escaped from the Initiative.

"Well," Faith said once everyone was ready. "Let's get this show on the road."


	20. And Then There were Five

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming! This is the second to last chapter. Soon, I will begin posting _Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow III: Inferno_. Hope you enjoy!

Previously:

"We need to stay out of sight," Jay concluded. Kate and Paul joined them, both looking refreshed from the night of undisturbed sleep. As Faith looked around at each person gathered before her, she noted that they all looked exceedingly better now that they had escaped from the Initiative.

"Well," Faith said once everyone was ready. "Let's get this show on the road."

Chapter Nineteen: And Then There were Five:

They left the sporting goods store bathed in the light of the rising sun. Faith was anxious to leave Sunnydale and start her new life in Los Angeles, or wherever she and Buffy finally would settle. Though she had happy memories of Sunnydale, the weeks of horror and terror that had been inflicted upon her stained those memories with blood and destruction. The moaning of the zombies that had infused her dreams would haunt her for the rest of her life. Though she loved being a Slayer, sometimes she longed for a normal life – a life in which she could dream of beautiful things instead of violence. The anti-virus, for which she had reentered Sunnydale, was pressed firmly against her thigh as it rested in the pocket of her pants.

She did not know what would happen to Sunnydale, or the anti-virus, once she had given the cure over to the military and left. She hoped that they would be able to prevent such a zombie invasion from ever happening again. An unsettled feeling crept into the pit of her stomach when she thought of the town. She doubted if there were any survivors left within the tattered remains of the city, but she knew that if there were, they would be in danger once her team had departed. Even if the zombies eventually starved to death, Faith knew that the military would destroy the town. They would never let anyone know what had happened in Sunnydale. The Initiative had been a part of the military, and though the soldiers on the outside seemed disgusted with what the scientists within the Initiative had been doing, Faith did not trust them entirely. She had entered Sunnydale to finish what she had started. But now she wondered what would happen once she left.

Faith followed Buffy as the older woman led them out of the store. The sun shone brightly, but her hands trembled as she clutched her gun. She was worried about what would happen during their last trek across town. The first time she tried to escape, she thought she and her friends were free, only to discover that her lover had been bitten by a zombie. She feared that something similar would happen, though she was trying to be optimistic. They had not seen any zombies that morning. She could hear no sound of them. The group only had to reach the fence, where the military would have a vehicle waiting for them. Once she was sitting in the back of the Jeep, with the wind blowing in her hair, and with Buffy's hand firmly in her own, she would be able to relax again for the first time in weeks.

Jay walked behind Faith, similar thoughts running through his mind. He was anxious to leave Sunnydale, worried about what might happen on the journey out, and eager to continue his life back in the real world. "Can't wait to get something real to eat," he mumbled, shifting the strap of his gun on his shoulder.

"What's the first thing you're going to get?" Faith smirked, overhearing his comment.

"I know this hamburger joint called Devo's in this little town maybe twenty miles away," Jay said. "Combo number three: double cheeseburger, French fries, and a banana shake. I know it's no good for me," he admitted. "But they make the best burgers."

"What about you Diego?" Faith asked, looking back at him.

"Enchiladas," Diego replied instantly. "My mama makes the best enchiladas. Old family recipe," he smiled.

"Faith?" Buffy prompted.

"Pizza," Faith grinned. "I've got a thing for a good slice of pepperoni with extra cheese. I think I know what you want, right?" Faith joked. "A cup of low fat yogurt."

"Shut up," Buffy replied playfully.

"What about you, Kate?" Jay continued.

"I know I probably shouldn't admit this," Kate said sheepishly, "but I haven't had a chili dog in years. I could go for one right now."

"Nice," Diego commented. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Paul?" Kate asked, looking over at her companion.

"Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob," Paul replied. "I'm all for the comfort food."

"That does sound pretty good," Buffy replied.

"Yeah," Faith agreed. "After the shit that we've been eating all this time."

"Anything would be good," Jay concluded.

"Especially if it's been heated up," Buffy added.

"Hot food," Jay groaned. "God, what a concept."

Silence fell between the group as they snuck between the buildings of Main Street. Soon, they would be leaving the center of town and entering the open land of the road that led to the fence, where they would be visible to every zombie in Sunnydale, if any happened to be looking. The group gathered around Buffy, who gazed determinedly at them. "Okay, guys," she said softly. "We gotta be careful now. This is where we're most vulnerable to attack. We're going to be out in the open until we reach the fence. If anyone's watching, they'll see us."

"We have to move fast," Faith added. "No lagging behind."

"Shoot to kill?" Jay asked.

"Hell yeah," Buffy nodded. "You see a zombie coming at us, take it down."

"Everybody ready?" Faith asked, glancing at each person briefly. The group collectively nodded and they moved out of the protection of the building, next to which they had been hiding.

They ran out of the shadows, their footsteps striking the pavement of the road in an offbeat rhythm. Faith felt her heart thudding quickly in her chest as she ran. They were almost out of Sunnydale. They just had to reach the fence and they would be free. But Faith knew not to let her guard down yet. Danger only increased for them the longer they remained out in the open. They would have to run for seven miles before reaching the fence. Though Buffy and Faith could run the distance without having to stop for breath, she knew that the others did not possess such Slayer stamina. She did not relish the prospect of having to stop, but she knew it was necessary. She also knew that they would be in danger every time they slowed. Faith tried to put her worries aside, knowing that they only would contribute to the rising anxiety in her heart.

They ran three miles before they had to stop for their first break. The group gathered in the parking lot of a liquor store next to the road. The empty building stood silent and dark. Faith shuddered. The whole town was devoid of life. She wiped a few stray beads of sweat from her brow and smiled over at Buffy. "Almost there," Buffy whispered. Faith nodded. "Nothing's going to happen to me," she continued.

"I know," Faith said determinedly.

"Oh really?" Buffy questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Faith swore. "Not this time."

The blonde Slayer smiled and moved away to check on the others. Jay and Diego were leaning against the front window of the liquor store, doubled over and panting as they tried to calm their racing hearts. Faith smiled a little, thought about joining them, but decided against it. Dropping her gun onto the parking lot, she sat down in one of the handicapped spaces, just out of the shadow of the building. The sun was shining above her, its heat warming her face. Buffy, Kate, and Paul stood a few feet away from her, chatting idly about what had been happening in the town since the attack. Faith sighed and closed her eyes, tilting her head toward the sun. For a moment, she forgot about the zombies and the ghost town that they were leaving behind. The sun held her in a gentle trance, soothing her tired soul.

But the moment was short lived. The loud crash of shattering glass forced her eyes open and tore through the calm that had settled in her bones. Before she could turn, she heard a terrified and pained scream. Grabbing her gun, she leapt to her feet. Buffy and Paul already were moving toward the building. Faith turned and her heart dropped at what she saw. A zombie had broken through the window of the liquor store. Diego was lying on his back, a large chunk of glass protruding from his lower arm and another angled out of his leg. Next to him, Jay was struggling against the zombie, which had its arms wrapped around his shoulders. Its teeth were lodged in Jay's neck, blood gushing abundantly from the wound, splashing dark red on the sidewalk. Though the soldier kicked and writhed within the zombie's grasp, he could not free himself. Raising her gun, Faith aimed and squeezed the trigger. The zombie's head exploded and it fell lifelessly in a heap of dead flesh.

Jay stumbled away and crashed to the ground, clutching the bleeding wound on his neck. Buffy was the first to reach him. Paul stopped by Diego, grabbed him by the shoulders, and pulled him away from the store. Faith let her gun fall to her side and rushed over to her fallen friend. She knelt down beside him, next to Buffy, and grabbed his hand. "You're gonna be okay," she promised, though as she surveyed his wound, she knew that she was lying. His hand was cold and clammy and his face had turned ghostly white. He tried to speak, but blood bubbled from his mouth instead of words. He squeezed her hand, twitched, and stilled. His eyes stared blankly out at the world and his grip on the former rogue's hand slacked. "Fuck!" Faith yelled, rising to her feet and turning away. Buffy sighed and gently closed the soldier's eyelids. Reaching into his pocket, she grabbed his vial of the anti-virus and slipped it into her own.

"Faith," she said softly as she stood.

"What?" Faith asked tearfully, though she refused to cry.

"You know what we have to do," Buffy stated, glancing over at her sorrowfully.

Faith sniffled and nodded. Wiping at her eyes angrily, she motioned for Buffy to move. "I'll do it," she volunteered.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. "I could…"

"No," Faith interrupted. "Check on Diego." Buffy nodded and hurried over to the injured man. Paul and Kate were examining his wounds. Faith stared down at the dead body of her friend, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. Raising her gun, she sighed shakily and aimed. Placing her finger on the trigger, she muttered, "I'm sorry." Then she fired. The bullet tore apart the man's head and Faith turned away, the bitter taste of bile rising in her throat.

She walked slowly over to the remainder of the group. They were kneeling in a semi circle around Diego. "How is he?" She asked.

"Never better," Diego growled between clenched teeth.

"It didn't bite or scratch him," Kate concluded. "The cuts are from the glass alone."

"Did you get any of Jay's blood in the wounds?" Buffy asked. "Any saliva from the zombie?"

"No," Diego shook his head. He was breathing heavily, his face paling from the sight of the blood spilling from his arm and leg. "The window busted, the glass hit me, and I was on the ground before the zombie had even grabbed Jay."

"Okay," Kate nodded. "We need to remove the glass."

"Can he travel?" Faith asked, kneeling down beside him.

"I don't know yet," Kate replied. "We'll have to see if he can stand once we've gotten the glass out of his leg." Turning her attention to the injured man, she spoke, "this is going to hurt."

"I know," Diego acknowledged. "Just pull it out."

"We're going to need something to cover the wounds with," Kate stated. "I'll need all of your shirt sleeves." Faith ripped off the sleeves of her shirt as Kate grasped the end of the piece of glass emerging from Diego's arm. The others did the same. Kate inhaled deeply, exhaled, and pulled. Paul held Diego down as he cried out in pain. The glass slid easily from his arm. Faith watched as the blood oozed freely from the wound. Kate grabbed the shirt sleeves from the dark Slayer's hand and pressed one against the wound. "Buffy," she instructed. "Tie the second tightly around his arm." Buffy complied. "Okay," Kate breathed shakily. "Hold this while I pull out the second piece."

Buffy pressed her hands against the cloth on the wound, smiling down at Diego. "You're doing fine," she said encouragingly. Diego nodded. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

"Faith," Kate said, motioning for Faith to kneel next to her. Faith moved over to her and nodded.

"What do you need?" She asked.

"I'm going to need you to tie one of the sleeves to his leg after I pull the glass out," she replied. Grabbing the second piece of glass, she pulled it from the wound and covered it with a piece of cloth as Faith tied the tourniquet around his leg.

"We need to get moving," Paul reminded them. "We don't know if that was the only zombie in there."

"Let's get him up," Faith suggested. She and Buffy positioned themselves on either side of Diego, grabbing his arms and lifting him to a standing position. When he tried to put his weight on his injured leg, he nearly fell, but Faith kept him steady.

"I don't think I can walk on my own," Diego breathed, panting in pain.

"We'll get you out of here," Faith promised. "Just lean on me."

"There's only four more miles between us and freedom," Buffy reminded the injured man. "We'll get out of here. All of us," she said, looking at each person. They starting walking again, Buffy and Faith helping Diego limp along the road. Paul brought up the rear, his gun held tightly in his hands. Kate led them, worry staining her features. Faith threw a look back at the liquor store, and Jay's mangled, lifeless body, and wondered if the rest of them would make it out alive.


	21. Hope for the Future

Animatus II: The Descent

Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming. This is the last chapter of the story. Sorry it took a little long to get up. Had some things happen that kind of spun me around. But writing helps, in theory at least. Ah, to be single again. Soon I will start posting _Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow III: Inferno_. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Previously:

"There's only four more miles between us and freedom," Buffy reminded Diego. "We'll get out of here. All of us," she said, looking at each person. They starting walking again, Buffy and Faith helping Diego limp along the road. Paul brought up the rear, his gun held tightly in his hands. Kate led them, worry staining her features. Faith threw a look back at the liquor store, and Jay's mangled, lifeless body, and wondered if the rest of them would make it out alive.

Epilogue: Hope for the Future:

The fence loomed ahead of them, a shining beacon in the failing afternoon light. Diego was pale and trembling. The wounds on his leg and arm sorely needed medical attention to stave off infection. Though they had applied tourniquets to the wounds, Diego had lost a significant amount of blood. Faith worried that he would not be able to make it to the fence of his own violation. She and Buffy had been helping him along the road, but he had been able to limp along without truly needing them. For the past mile, however, he had begun to lose strength. Now he leaned heavily on Faith, relying on her muscles to compensate for his fatigue. "How ya doin', buddy?" Faith asked.

Diego snorted and grinned lopsidedly. "Never been better," he replied sarcastically.

"I'm sure," Faith grinned back.

"Thinking of going for a run once we get back to base," the soldier continued.

"Might join you," Faith joked.

Diego quieted momentarily, his face growing serious. "I don't know what we were thinking."

"What do you mean?" The dark haired Slayer asked, glancing over at him.

"Jay and I. Leaning against that window. It was stupid," Diego furthered.

"You can't beat yourself up over it," Faith said consolingly.

"We're _soldiers_," the man stressed. "We're trained to deal with situations like this." Faith raised an eyebrow at him and he corrected, "Well, not _exactly_ like this. But you know what I mean. We're trained to be careful. We're trained to survey our surroundings and recognize all possible dangers. But we didn't."

"You can't blame yourself," Faith said softly.

"If I had been paying attention, he might be alive right now," Diego muttered.

"Maybe," Faith agreed. "But he didn't think either. I didn't think. None of us did. None of us recognized the danger of leaning against that window. We were all just so tired and so close to getting out of here. We slipped for a moment. It won't happen again," she said determinedly. "Jay and I came back here knowing that we might not leave again. It was his choice. Don't try to take responsibility for it. Just focus on getting out of here so you can see your family again."

"Thanks," Diego smiled.

Faith nodded in reply. The fence inched closer. Paul started jogging toward it. "We're almost there, guys!" He called back to them.

"Just a little farther," Buffy said encouragingly to Diego.

"I can make it," he gritted his teeth as he pushed forward.

Faith squinted as she gazed at the fence. She saw a Jeep waiting for them on the other side. Two soldiers sat inside of it: a driver and a guard. Both stood when they saw the group approaching. Paul waved to them and the soldiers waved back. They hopped out of the Jeep and moved to the gate, preparing to open it. When the group finally reached the gate, Faith breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The metal barrier swung open and the two soldiers rushed out to help Buffy and Faith with Diego. "We found some survivors," Diego said between clenched teeth, nodding his head toward the new faces in the crowd.

"Have any of you been infected?" One of the soldiers asked.

"No," Faith answered. "We're all clean. We have your anti-virus too."

"General will be glad to hear it," he smiled. "Let's get you to the Jeep. Once we get back to base, you'll all be tested just to make sure. Then you'll be released."

"Released?" Buffy whispered over to Faith, wiggling her eyebrow suggestively.

"Are you having dirty thoughts?" Faith whispered back as they climbed into the back of the Jeep. After the soldiers deposited Diego next to Faith, Paul and Kate climbed in.

"Maybe," Buffy admitted.

"In that case," Faith said, brushing a strand of hair behind her lover's ear, "we'll have to see about getting released earlier."

The road back to the base was dusty and bumpy. Diego gripped the sides of the Jeep with pale knuckles as he bounced in his seat. Faith watched him worriedly, but she knew that he would survive. Once they reached the base, they returned the vials of the anti-virus to the scientists working for the General. Each surviving member of the team gave a sample of blood to be tested. Only Diego remained behind in the infirmary. Faith reluctantly left him, though she knew that he would be in the watchful care of the doctors. While Buffy, Paul, and Kate were settling into the barracks for a long night of well deserved rest, Faith found a payphone.

Sliding a quarter into the slot, she typed in a number from memory. Before Giles left for Los Angeles, he gave Faith the phone number of Angel's motel, where she could reach him once her mission in Sunnydale had ended. Sighing, she tiredly rubbed her face, as she waited for someone to pick up on the other end of the line. The phone rang several times before Cordelia answered. "Angel Investigations, we help the helpless. How can we help you?"

"Cordelia?" Faith asked.

"Ah, it's psycho Slayer," Cordelia replied. "Calling ahead before you try to kill us this time?"

"You really haven't gotten the memo yet, have you?" Faith asked irritably.

"What memo was that?" Cordelia shot back.

"The one that says I'm not the psycho Slayer anymore," Faith said firmly.

"Oh, yeah," Cordelia said dismissively. "I got that memo."

"What?" Faith asked in surprise.

"Angel told me to take it easy on you when you called. Giles is a big advocate of your reformation. So is Willow, oddly enough. But I couldn't help a little jab," Cordelia teased.

"Thanks, Cordelia," Faith sighed. "Can you put Giles on the line?"

"Hold on," she said.

Faith waited until she heard muffled footsteps approaching the phone. "Hello?" Giles answered.

"Hey, G-man, it's Faith," the dark haired Slayer stated.

"I take it the mission was successful," Giles said.

"I'm still here," Faith replied, smiling into the receiver. "All goes well, they're letting me out of here tomorrow morning. Can you come pick me up?"

"Yes, of course," Giles replied. "And you're alright?"

"I'm good," Faith replied. "I've got a surprise for you."

"You do?" Giles asked curiously.

"You'll just have to come here to find out," Faith smiled as she hung up the phone.

Glancing up into the sky, she closed her eyes for a moment. She was out of Sunnydale. She had escaped for the last time. Though the first time she had lost the one thing that meant everything, but life had given her another chance. Tomorrow she would be on her way to Los Angeles with Buffy. She started walking toward the barracks. When she reached the door, Buffy was waiting for her just inside. "Hey," Faith said, greeting her with a quick kiss on the lips.

"Giles picking us up tomorrow?" Buffy asked.

"Giles is picking _me_ up tomorrow," Faith corrected. "I didn't tell him about you."

"Why not?" Buffy asked confusedly.

"Because I wanted to give him a happy surprise," Faith replied, smiling slightly. "The man's been through a lot. He deserves some unexpected happiness."

"Speaking of unexpected happiness," Buffy said suggestively. "It appears as though we have the barracks to ourselves."

"Really?" Faith asked.

"They don't like to bunk potential infectees with the regular population," Buffy explained. "But Paul and Kate are spending the evening partying with some of the other soldiers – sort of an 'I'm glad we're alive' thing."

"And you were thinking?" Faith prompted.

Buffy grabbed Faith's hand and pulled her into the building. Closing the door behind her, she slammed her lips into Faith's, her tongue eagerly exploring the dark haired Slayer's mouth as she pressed her up against the wall. "I was thinking," she panted in between kisses, "that we could make up for some lost time."

Faith grinned wolfishly. "I think that's a very good idea," Faith replied as she backed Buffy up to a bed.

………………………..

The next day Buffy and Faith went to the infirmary to say good-bye to Diego, Paul, and Kate. "How was your party?" Faith asked, raising an eyebrow when she saw Paul and Kate.

"Drank way too much," Paul groaned.

"I had to help him back to the barracks around four in the morning," Kate grinned. "How was _your_ night?"

"Good," Buffy replied cheekily.

"I'm sure," Diego laughed.

"So how're you doing?" Faith asked, turning her attention to the injured soldier.

"Better," Diego replied honestly. "They gave me painkillers," he added with a smile.

"We're going to be leaving soon," Buffy explained. "So we thought we'd drop by and say good-bye."

"We'll be in Los Angeles if you need anything," Faith offered as she leaned in and gave Diego a quick hug. "Just look up Angel Investigations."

"Will do," Diego replied seriously.

After they said their good-byes, Buffy and Faith stood waiting in the afternoon sun just outside of the gates of the base for Giles to pick them up. "No more Sunnydale," Buffy sighed. "It's a little weird."

"A little?" Faith asked. "It's seriously weird."

"Los Angeles is nice though," Buffy stated. "You'll like it. I liked it there before Mom and I moved."

"It's always sunny right?" Faith joked.

"Always," Buffy smiled.

"I'll like anywhere so long as I'm with you," Faith said seriously.

"Who know you were a romantic?" Buffy joked, leaning in and giving Faith a quick, but passionate kiss.

"I have layers," Faith commented when Buffy pulled away.

The sound of a car rolling down the street turned her attention away from the blonde and she smiled when she saw Giles driving up to them in a shiny convertible. "That's so not his car," Buffy joked.

"Might be a mid-life crisis," Faith suggested.

"I'm betting it's Cordelia's," the blonde objected.

The car slowed to a stop and Giles stepped out onto the street. "Good Lord," he replied when his eyes landed on Buffy. "You're alive," he stated.

"Very much so," Buffy smiled tentatively, her eyes filling up with tears when she saw her Watcher. Walking up to the older man, she wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace. Giles hugged her back, smiling with relief. When Buffy pulled away, he glanced over in Faith's direction.

"Surprise," she said, shrugging.

"I'm glad you're okay," he replied, "both of you." He moved over to Faith and gave her a quick hug, to her surprise.

"Thanks," Faith replied gratefully.

"Are we ready to go?" Giles asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Buffy stated.

"New car, Giles?" Faith joked.

Giles blushed and looked down at the ground as he opened the driver's door. "No," he said hastily. "It's Angel's."

"I didn't see that coming," Faith laughed.

As Buffy and Faith settled into the backseat, Giles pulled back onto the road. Faith sighed, glancing behind her as the base faded from view. Buffy slipped her hand into the dark haired Slayer's and smiled over at her. "You okay?" She asked.

"Better than okay," Faith promised. "You're with me. We're leaving Sunnydale. Maybe we got a chance after all." The former rogue glanced out of the window again, watching the scenery flash by. She smiled. For the first time in her life, she had hope for the future.


End file.
